The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-21 00:00:00

.end with. Ido not regret having no stake in such

property.' "
‘• As the same indisposition to resume work, and the
same differences on the question of wages, were ap-
parent in all the islands at the same time, without the
possibility of concert and intercommunication, on the
termination of the apprenticeship, the combination, if
any such really existed, which does not seem improba-
ble, must have been arranged beforehand, and through
other agency than that of the blacks themselves, who
must clearly be incompetent to transactions so compli-
cated. It must not, however, be forgotten, that the
conduct of the negroes in the Crown colonies, where
the intention of total emancipation was kept profoundly
secret, and even the contrary resolution of letting the
apprenticeship run out its legal term made manifest
and officially published within a week of the decree of
emancipation, was in all circumstances precisely simi-
lar to that of their brethren elsewhere, with whom they
could have held no communication, as not expecting to
be placed in the same position.
"The state of affairs in Trinidad, one of these
Crown colonies, is represented by a respectable resi-
dent by no means in the same gloomy colours as given
in the papers. In this letter, dated on the 10th of
August, he says, "The Ist of August was a high church
day throughout the colony for thanksgiving and prayer.
The labouring classes generally went to their work on
the Monday following ; the wages are 3s. currency,
or about is. 2d. sterling per day; some give 31b. of
fish in addition per week, and others do not. Nothing
could be more orderly than their conduct and behaviour
have been since the lst. I was instrumental in carry-
ing the measure, and now that it is done, people begin
to be satisfied with the plan that has been adopted, and
which has prevented anarchy, confusion, and a passive
resistance, under which we should have been compelled
to do that which we have now done of our own free
good will, and we have parted good friends to meet
each other on a new and, I am satisfied, better system."
From what follows it will appear the writer was no
partisan of the abolitionists, but it may be useful to
quote it as a fair specimen of the sentiments of his class
in the colony, and not, therefore, unworthy of attention.
It is undoubtedly desirable now, for the promotion of
peace and the best interests of all concerned on both
sides, that no undue and prejudicial interference should
be exerted between the planter and his workpeople.
He continues—" But will the government now let us
alone ? I think some of the fanatics who have nothing to
lose will be hatching some new plots against us; they
will not cause the government to prohibit the importa-
tion of sugar from slave countries; no, that would
touch their pockets : but the government now ought
to foster, and not to harass, the inhabitants of the
West Indies. It (the emancipation of the Ist) will
make a difference to me of £5OO sterling for the first
year, but then the system will be better and no heart-
burnings." The recriminatory expressions, and the
indirect attack against the admission of foreign slave-
grown sugar, are excusable, as hasty ebullitions in a
moment of excitement ; but it is not the less true that
if the West India colonies are not to be thrown away,
the great interests involved in their well-being are
entitled toall possible protection at the hands of govern-
ment short of the sacrifice of other interests not less
valuable.

"Jamaica, according to the public accounts, ap-
peared to be in the greatest agitation of any island,
yet there really seemed no cause for despair, as the
following extract of a letter to his correspondent at
Kingston from an extensive proprietor and attorney
(agent) in the parish of St. Thomas- in-the-Vale would

show :
"' We are now on the Bth of the month (August,) and not
a person at field labour in the parish on sugar estates. The
people are mad, and I think likely to continue so until all
their money is gone. They are quite aware that they ate
liable fir rent, but would rather decline paying any. They
talk of ss. a-day for wages; it will be some tune ere the re-
sources of this fine colony are developed at this rate, but I
agree with you that the blacks are likely to beciome a fine
peasantry by and by, when they understand their new and
true position. Alas ! for our canes in the meantime; while
the grass (weeds) grows the canes die."'
"A prominent subject of uneasiness in all these
letters and accounts is the diminished amount of pro-
duction which may be feared in succeeding years under
the new system, and the impossibility of competing in
prices with foreign sugars, from the high wages likely
to be demanded by the negroes and paid, coupled with
the reduced bounty on the export of refined sugar,—a
measure, it is observed, which, however, the rates of
wages will reach their fair level, and the expenses of
the manufacture of sugar, all former incidental casual-
ties allowed for, will be found probably not to exceed
the proportion in the days of slave labour."
At Jamaica it was stated that the negroes on the
Marquess of Sligo's property had struck for wages, and
declared that they would not return to labour unless
they received 2s. 6d. or 3s. per day. This affords a
striking proof the sort of popularity enjoyed by a
"liberal lord." The Marquess has contributed, perhaps,
more than any other individual to bring about the
emancipation of the apprentices—and he now meets
with his reward.
Complaints are made in all the colonies of the scar-
city of small change, and the necessity for a large sup-
ply to be provided by government from home, now
that so much would be wanted for wages.
The Bank of British Guiana appears to have pros-
pered considerably, and had declared a dividend of 6
per cent., after leaving a rest of per cent. on their
subscribed capital. Fifty per cent. of the capital of
that bank had been paid upon 6000 shares, and every
confidence appears to be placed in the institution.
We subjoin a few extracts from the various \Vest

Indian journals:—
( From the Royal Gazette of Atty. 4.)
FREEDOM.—The Jubilee is past. That day so dreaded by
all connected with the British West India Colonies—when
the grand national experiment, of liberating hundreds of
thousands of bondsmen, and allowing them to enter into all
the privileges of freemen, is happily passed away. The last
remnant of slavery has been dissipated, and as time waits for
no man, as it glides swiftly and regularly 00, so the hour on
which slavery was to cease, approached, arrived, went, and
the next how beheld our people freemen in every sense of
the word. Thank God! there is no restriction, nothing to
fetter the liberated slave. He is free to roam where the
canopy of heaven overhangs the British dominions—he is
free us the eagle on the wing, and no man can controul him
—his fetter s are unbound, broken, sn apt asunder, by the
wisdom of our legislature—and he is now only amenable to
the laws of God and his country.
HE FF.sTivrriEs.—Early on the afternoon of the 31st of
July, our usually quiet city began to be in commotion, and
numerous parties were seen proceeding to the Race Course,
to inspect the preparations for the festivities of the evening.
Towards dusk a large concourse of the rabble collected to-
gether, and with fife and dinar, and two or three flags, pro-
ceeded from the Parade to the Race Course, where, soon
after, rockets were sent up, and fire-works exhibited for the
amusement of the people; a very excellent transparency was
shown, and a miserable attempt at such a thing was also ex-
hibited on the Parade.
Towards ten o'clock, almost all had retired, some to court
the sleeping God, others to the chapels, to watch the hour
when freedom shou id be ushered in, and no vestige of slavery
remain in Jamaica, while a few kept la !la ! ! iny, to the
disturbance of the more sober citizens, with their noise.
The 2d, like the day before, was still and silent as the
grave. Towards midday, however, our late apprentices
and crowds of people were again seen approaching the scene
of festivity.
The Ist of August came, and the sun which rose that
morning shed its lustre on a free country. All was hushed
as the Sabbath, and the Church bell gave warning that the
House of God was open, to allow all ranks to return thanks,
and give praise for the glorious day. The day passed in
quietness—the churches and chapels were well attended, and
nothing but the occasional burst of those who: hod been re-
galed and were making merry towards the evening seemed
to interrupt the calm and peaceful state of the city.

(From the Royal Gazette of Aug.ll.)
THE STATE. OF THE ISLAND.-It IS with sincere regret
that we have this week to deplore the lamentable state of ex-
citement which pervades some districts of the country, and
the perverseness and obstinacy which betrays itself in the
minds of most of our people. Goaded as they are by those
who ought to preach peace and forbearance, we cannot but
condemn in the most severe terms the manner which the
Baptist missionaries have conducted themselves, at a period
when they ought to have been most guarded in preventing
those over whom they have the most unbounded sway to act
otherwise than in a manner in which no blanw could have
been attached to them. But what is the state of the island?
From almost every parish, accounts have been received
of the total cessation from labour. And from what
cause? The exorbitant demand for excessive wages.
In almost every parish 2s. 61., 3s. 4d., or ss. a day is de-
manded, wages which could only be afforded by proprietors
making 3,4, or 500 hogsheads of sugar under the most favor-
able circumstances—while those making 100 or 150 must be
thrown up. Were it even possible to suppose the people
could hold out for high wages, and that the planter would
have to give i;a, the only manner in which it would be vostri-
ble for the planter to exist, would be, by a complete rednc-
tion of the duties on sugar, without which he would be
ruined. This is not, however, at present the question.
We have made such extracts from the Northside Papers
as will show the excited and alarming state of the
parish of Trelawny; besides which our private letters
state, " that Mr. Oughton (a Baptist Minister) has publicly
told the people to let the canes rot upon the field and the ships
go home in ballast, sooner than take one 'farthing less than
2s. 6d. per diem—and a congregation of 1500 men, heard a
Minister of the Gospel speak in the most disrespectful terms
of the proprietors at home, and dare his members to lift a
hoe under 2s. 6d. a day." Now we ask, is this a prudent
course fur it Minister of the Gospel, one who ought to he
a messenger of peace, to pursue. We deprecate such
conduct. We denounce the conduct of the Bev. Gen-
tlemen, Messrs. Knibb and Oughton, as fraught with the ut-
most danger to this island, and what ow,ht to engage the at-
tention of her Majesty's government. We understand that
those Ministers who advocate the course of peace and forbear-
ance, are unheeded and held up 44 ridicule and abuse. In
fact we have it from the best authority, that even Mr. Bor-
chelt is ashamed of and reprobates the conduct of his Bre-
thren on the Nor thside of the island. It is said, that the ex•
citeinent at this tune occasioned by the addresses of Oueiton,
is tremendous, and quite equal to that of Air. Knibb.

(From the Jamaica Despatch, Aug 6.)
We have received a letter from St. Mary's, stating that
many of the apprentices on a great number of the estates
here have knocked off working for the two last weeks, and
are going about in a state of idleness.
• (From a Jamaica Paper of the 10th of August.)
We have received the following information from a cor-