The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-27 00:00:00

The same journal alleges that crime was considerably
on the increase. A t the last Surry assizes there were

fifty cases on the calendar.

The Cornwall Chronicle, which was formerly in the
radical interest, contains the following strong observa-
" The present state of many of the labouring
population, who have not come to terms with their

Ions: --'

'orrner masters, would have sooner come to an under-

standing had their grounds been less productive; for

want is one of the most formidable enemies of

idleness, and one of the most flattering friends of idle-
ne's is vice. How truly has Johnson remarked, that

there are few men who do not date the predominance
of those desires that disturb his life, and contaminate
his conscience, from some unhappy hour, when too

much leisure exposed him to their incursions; for he

has lived with little observations either on himself or
others, who does not know that to be idle is to be
vicious.' If this opinion be any thing near the truth,

then have the advisers of the unfortunate labourers
much to answer for. We are certain, that numbers
who have had this foretaste of idleness, under this new
state of freedom, and relaxed industry, will never re-

some the same active toils again, with a willing and
voluntary spirit. Thousands of those have felt the in-
structions of base and unworthy desires to render life

less agreeable than formerly. In fact, an unhappy
feeling must, by this time, be implanted in the minds
of many of these otherwise well-disposed negroes;
their past conditions must he viewed, in comparison
with their present vaunted freedom, with an " eye of

sorrow, such as the traveller casts upon departed day."
Much of this state of things, we are decidedly of opinion,
is occasioned by a politico religious sect, who levy sys-
tematic taxation on their poor deluded followers, un-
heard of within the boundaries of Christendom."
In reference to the continued and malignant attacks
of the English abolitionists, the Jamaica Dispatch of
the 12th ult. remarks :—" In contradiction to the in-
famous lying statements (which we yesterday quoted
from the British Emancipator) we beg leave to inform
our transatlantic readers, that the heavy rate o

wages the agricultural proprietors of this Colony
are now compelled to pay for a minimum of la-
bour, cannot be kept up without certain ruin 1—
Far from the 3s. 4d. per week, which that Jour-
nal states to be the average paid on the autho-
rity of lying informers, the labourers who are
willing to work generally receive more than
double that sum, exclusive of a cottage and ground,
from which they can realise a fair income. And
when it is added that on the land they occupy
they are allowed to rear pigs and poultry, corn
and cattle, and also to have the run of the pro-
prietor's estate to help themselves ad libitum to
wood for fuel, grass, hogmeat, fruit, and vegeta-
ides—it will not surprise any body to hear that
being so well provided with the necessaries of
life, they feel disposed to work for hard wages.
"The proof is, that even the high wages given
do not stimulate them to labour continuously, or
to work with efficient effect. They will not, as
their employers say, accept the rough with the
smooth. On the contrary, they like to get their
money for light labour, • but desert their task
whenever there is heavy work to perform; from
this indolence, and the absence of all stimulus to
manual exertion, many estates will not be able
to ship half their crops; and from the ruthless
malignity and unmitigated persecution of the Go-
vernment agitators, backed by the Baptist and
Stipendiary demagogues, it is likely they will
blast the fruits of as fine a harvest of sugar,
coffee, and pimento as the island ever produced,
and which the negroes might have been induced
to gather and manufacture, if it had not been
for incendiary interference!

"However, affairs have now come to a crisis !
and the government must at once declare whether
they mean to make this Colony a Black Republic
or a free province of Great Britain, governed by
equal and constitutional laws, where life and pro-
perty are protected. The Assembly meets on the
30th inst., and must at once demand of the Go-
vernor whether he has instructions to annul their(
Charter, suspend their Constitution, and deprive them
of their hereditary tights; and we shall see whether
the freemen of Jamaica will consent to become slaves
in return for having emancipated their negro appren-
tices ?

The Governor of Jamaica it appears had issued an
order to t.l►e stipendiary magistrates to furnish lti►n
with reports of the actual state of things in the island.
On tl►e character of the anticipated reports, the Dis-
patch remarks:—" It is of course the interest of the
Governor and his Stipes to make the best possible re-
port they can on the effects of their own administration
of affairs in this distracted Colony. So if they can
make it appear that all the good that has been done,
has been produced by their zealous endeavours, and

that all the evil which has occurred, has been the re-
sult of the Planters' opposition to their mandates, their
purpose is gained ; for, if they can manage to secure
the thanks and approbation of the Colonial Secretary,
and the expected rewards of their pretended good
service, they care little if Jamaica and all its inhabi-
tants were sunk in the Atlantic Ocean; their desire
being to re:.) the golden coin as well as opinions of
their countrymen ; and to finger that, would readily
hang and quarter every planter in the country with as
little remorse as they would shoot a soldier for desert-
ing from the ranks.

If any of our readers conceive we judge them too

harshly, let them remember the expressions used by
his Excellency, and the systematic persecution and in-
sulting conduct of the pet specials towards the local
authorities and proprietors of the, island at large
ever a loyal, deserving, and generous-hearted body 0f
British subjects were malignantly defamed, cheated'
and oppressed, the British colonists of this and the
neighbouring islands have been most wantonly, cruel-
ly, and unjustly humbled and abused !

Having sacrificed all that a liberal community
could possibly concede to qniet and satisfy their rapa-
cious enemies, they find that nothing can appease their
insatiable and craving appetite to devour, except the
entire destruction of their whole property.
"The Planters, as we before observed, are at the
present moment drawing all their compensation Woof
to pay the negroes for the two years' service which
was lawfully due. The highest wages are regularly
paid for a trifling minimum of work, and exclussive
cottage
of
and land worth from £3O to 1:,10 per anuttniA'
Still, the labourers are taught to crave for more, and
to refuse to pay in about half the value of the produce
they reap from their master's estate, and fur which 46
(the landlord) is compelled to pay taxes, whilst the
negro rears his pigs and poultry, corn and cattle, sent
arid lot free. Is this equal law or equal justice ? and
can it end in any thing but total loss and ruin ?
"Many of the Planters say, if the present crop makes
no return, they most throw up the cultivation of their
properties. They have no means to pay the exorbitant
exactions on their purse; and if they cannot earn
bread by their, own hands, their wives and families
must perish. This will be a blessed example of the .
improved development of Jamaica's rich resources'
and a fine stimulus to other Nations to abolish coercive
labour! Yet, amidst all these dangers and difficnittel:.
we are called upon to thank and applaud Sir Lionel
Smith, who kindly lets loose black criminals to rob,
plunder, and destroy,—more favoured than the white
skinned slave of his commander, who is treated to u":
mitigated punishment for the most trivial and venial.
offence ! A white soldier is sentenced to one hundrd.
and fifty lashes for concealing a pair of trowserswithnu • 11'1
black house•brealier and felon is pardoned
punishment at all ! ! and
" This is the admirable system of equal law
equal justice we are urged to admire and approve
el
What the result of it has be-en it shall be the Min.._
task of our faithful sentinels of the island welfare to
observe and record ! !"
The Cornwall Chronicle contains the following nil.
nouncement respecting the intentions of the governe"
ment in reference to the agitators, by whom the peace
of the island has been so long disturbed :—"We Arl
happy to hear that her Majesty's Attorney-Geuer.ti
will forthwith file ex-otlicio informations against
demagogues Knibb, Oughton,,Lewis, and others,.tor
having abetted and advised the labourers to cunthin.tlt
for an extravagant rate of wages. This is only ag.?
should be, and if they are convicted—as most assured!!
they will—we hope they will meet with the fate of tl:
Dorchester labourers in England, 7 and 14 Year
of the sea-
transportation—but without any remission

tence."
From Barbadoes, Demerara, Trinidad, and tbeother