The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA IN JAMAICA

SPANISH TOWN, DEC. 13, 1850.—1 am most thankful
to be able to report the almost entire cessation of the
cholera in Kingston and Spanish Town. A few cases, in-
duced by neglected diarrhoea, whereby the system is dis-
abled from absorbing the necessary medicines, are daily
occurring ; but the fierceness of the pestilence was merci-
fully stayed in so sudden a manner as to cause almost as
much wonder as its precipitate appearance. On a sudden
an oppressive yet exciting load was shifted from the mind,
and we were hardly able to convince ourselves of the
reality. Our estimable and deeply esteemed medical man,
Dr. Bowerbank, has sunk under the weight of his exer-
tions, which exceeded the bounds of his bodily and
mental strength. The dangerous illness of his wife
added greatly to the pressure on the bruin, and he
now lies, alas ! insensible. It is, however, hoped, and
I trust I may add, believed, that entire rest will, under
the divine will, restore him. We all feel deeply on this
occasion. I regret that I am compelled to add to the
long list of barbarities which I detailed in my last letter.
Dr. M'Fayden, of Kingston, one of the most skilful and
experienced practitioners, and one above all others who
devoted his skill and time in relieving the distresses of
the poor, has lately died. His wife and daughter were
placed in such a situation as to be unable to attend upon
him, and I hear he died from neglect. Not a soul would
relieve his sufferings or administer to his wants, save his
fellow practitioners, when they visited him. Of those for
whom he did so much not one returned to act the part of
nurse. His death is a dark blot on the character of the
negroes. A servant, living with a family in Spanish
Town, was seized ; none of her relatives came near her ;
her employers, however, procured every assistance—
medical and otherwise but nature sank, and she
died. She had been in service some time, and was known
to have saved a little money. As her corpse was being
carried in the cart, with clothes, bedding, &c., to the
burial ground, four of the relatives met it, followed it,
and seized the mattrass, ripped it open, discovered a few
dollars, divided the spoil, and the next day were all dead.
A clerk in one of the public offices had lost his wife ; he
grieved much, was very nervous, and was at length
attacked. He had a son, a brown youth, about eighteen
years, who had constantly lived with him, and was taught
to earn a livelihopd ; he left his father without a soul to
nurse him, neglected to procure and give him proper
medicine and nourishment, shut his eyes to his father's
tortures when drawn into all shapes by cramp; but
made good use of them to discover where the few spoons
and forks and other valuables were kept. He was
found in this act by a gentleman who very properly
forced him to attend for a while on his suffering parent
by threatening to break his head with a heavy stick if he
refused—" Either die from the effects of nursing your
father, (if such a fear at all actuates you,) or die by my
hand." The poor man died, and the wretched son carried
off the plunder. _ _

Politically speaking, the evil effects are yet to be felt.
With the continued rain on this side of the island the
crops have become unusually large; rather, I should say,
the cane fields are laden with an unusual growth; for the
sugar is generally designated by the term " crop." In
most parishes one-half of the productive power has been
cut off, and what is very singular, on most estates the
head men. i. e., their best workmen, have been the first
victims. As yet, I cannot comprehend this fact. I fear
that many estates will be compelled to sacrifice more
than half their crop—cutting the canes and feeding the
cattle with them—not having labour sufficient to bind,
cart, carry, and grind them. They must be cut to save
the crop for next year. Wages have also risen to add
to the many other difficulties. Unless we have a large popu-
lation of some sort poured in just now I have the most
dismal fears as to the future. I know all the difficulties
attendant on the importation of savages, and have always
objected to it on principle while I considered and believed
that there was a productive power generally if not univer-
sally sufficient for the wants of the island. Now, how-
ever, to my mind a most serious crisis is impending.
My impression is that we ought to have an European
population of some sort located in our higher lands, that
by the cultivation of the vegetable products we might, by
degrees, force the negroes, who alone are fitted for conti-
nued day labour in the low lands, to cultivate the estates.
This curtailment of the supply of labour will, I fear,
materially affect the numerous efforts made to introduce
the cotton plant as one of our staples. I believe, how.-
ever, that one person will send about 5001 b. to the Exhi-
tion.

Mrs. Macdougall's excellent concert will take place
to-morrow night. It will be unusually attractive.
A chamber of commerce is in course of formation at
Bristol.

Viscount da Torre de Moncorvo, who has so worthily
filled for many years the important post of the Queen of
Portugal's Minister in this country, died in London on
Saturday.
COMMUTATION OF TlTHES.—Return stating what has
been, during seven years, ending on the Thursday before
Christmas Day, 1850, the average price of an imperial
bushel of British wheat, barley, and oats, compared with
the weekly averages of corn returns. Published in the
Gazette pursuant to an act passed in the 6th and 7th
year of the reign of William IV., intituled, " An act for
the commutation of tithes in England and Wales"—
Wheat, 64. std. ; barley, 4s. ; oats, 2s. Bd.
A new method of stopping railroad trains has recently
been discovered in the United States ; electricity is the
means used. The plan contemplates the arrangement of
ei galvanic battery on the locomotive, under the eye and
hand of the engineer, with a rod running thence to each
wheel in the train, connected with the different clogs or
brakes, and to be connected with the battery by a touch,
so as to apply simultaneously and instantly any desirable
amount of pressure to every clog.

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION.—On Friday last a young
man named Mathew Kenny, of Enniscorthy, who em-
braced the Protestant faith, for doing so was subject to
such treatment from his parents as to call forth the inter-
ference of the magistrates, who accordingly granted a
warrant to the police to take Kenny out of the custody of
his parents. On Saturday last he was brought before the
magistrates, before whom he lodged informations against
his father, mother, and brother, for having cruelly beaten
him and threatened to take his life. They were ordered
to give bail, themselves in the sum of £lO, and two sure-
ties in the sum of £5 each, to keep the peace towards
Mathew Kenny, who has now been obliged to seek refuge
in the workhouse.

NO • MORE SHAVING.—Mons. Boudet, a French che-
mist, in a communication to the Journal de Pharmacie,
gives tilis formula for a depilatory :—" Take of sulphuret
of sodium, or hydro-sulphate of soda, crystallized, three
parts; quick lime, in powder, ten ditto : starch, ten ; mix.
This powder, mixed with a little water, and applied over
the skin. acts so rapidly as a depilatory, that if it be
removed in a minute or two after its application by a
wooden knife, the surface of the skin will be entirely
deprived of hair. By this process the removal of the hair
becomes so simple, rapid, and safein operation, that it will
supersede the use of the razor in many cases. It may be
applied to parts the most delicate as well as irregular, and
to surfaces either limited or extended, and it is only after
several days, that the hair begins to re-appear.
THE CARDINAL AND THE QUARER.—When Mr. Lucas,
editor of the Tablet, formerly a Yorkshire Quaker, joined
the Church of Rome, he addressed a pamphlet to some of
his-quondam co-religionists, entitled " Reasons for be-
coming a Catholic." A member of the Society of Friends,
Mr. Lupton, wrote a reply to the production in question,
giving it the appellation of "Reasons for not becoming
a Catholic." The latter booklias remained in oblivion for
some years, but the occurrence of the present agitation
induced Mr. Lupton to forward a copy to his Eminence
the Cardinal. and Mr. Lupton received the following reply :
" Cardinal Wiseman begs respectfully to acknowledge the
receipt of Mr. Lupton's pamphlet and MS., notes all of
which he has attentively perused. He does not see that
they can call from him any observations beyond an ex-
pression of his sincere wish that every one would, treat
religious subjects with the same calmness and gentleness
as Mr. Lupton exhibits. Truth would then soon over.
turn prejudice, falsehood, and passion. P.S. Mr. Lup-
ton's letter only reached this address a few days back.
35, Golden-square, Jan. 8, 1851." The letter is in the
handwriting of the Cardinal, and bears an official seal
displaying a Cardinal'ehat.
IMPORTANT PARISH ASSESSMENTS.—Two drawn
battles have just been brought to a satisfactory termina-
tion between the parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal-green,
and the Eastern Counties Railway Company.; and Christ
Church, Spitaffields, and the eminent brewers, Messrs.
Truman, Hanbury, and Co, In the first instance it ap-
pears, from the evidence collected by Mr. Paine, archi-
tect and surveyor, who has been engaged, on behalf of
both the above parishes in making a re-assessment,. that
the extensive brewery is capable of "wetting" no, less
than 106,460 quarters of malt. The assessment was for-
merly Xl4OO, which was increased to £2500, and ultimately
adjusted at 1-3000. In the other instance above mentioned,
of the railway, the assessment is based upon the rate-
able value of sixty-seven furlongs of: the line, including
the stations, &c., within the parish of St. Matthew,
Bethnal-green. After a smart contest between the gen-
tlemen learned in law on either side,, the amount has
been adjusted at £5,000 per annum. In 1849 the gross
receipts of the railway were found to be £770,73645. 7d. ;
working expenses, £293,589 4s. 4d. ; for deductions, Sze.,
£190,000, leaving the rateable value at £287,167 Os. 3d.
The subject is considered as one of great importance to
railway companies as the rating upon income is somewhat
novel, and will more or less affect every parish through
which a railway passes.—Sunday Times. _ _

THE BISHOP OF LONDON. AND. THE REV. BRYAN
KINo.—A correspondence has taken place between the
Bishop of London and the Rev. Bryan King, the Rector
of St. George's-in-the-Bast—who, it will be remembered,,
has been frequently before the public, as one of those
clergymen adhering tck Tractarian notions—relative to the
visitation to his church by the Archdeacon of London.
The bishop, in this instance, has certainly over-stepped
the bounds of prudence, to say the least of his interfe-
rence, however wrong the conduct of Mr. King may have
been. That gentleman's parish is a portion of the old
parish of Stebonheath, or Stepney, which has always been
free from archdiaconal visitation, the rector being a quasi
archdeacon himself, and having the power of supervision
over the entire district, which extends from Whitechapel
on the west to Bow on the east, from Betbnal-green on
the north to the Thames on the south, including Poplar,
Limehouse, Shadwell, and St. George's-in-the East,
Wapping being the only parish out of the jurisdiction.
The Bishop of London, from the time of his coming to
the see, desired to do away with all peculiars, and to bring
such parishes as Stepney under his immediate direction,
and in no quarter has that anxiety been more directly
shown than with respect to the above-named parish.
He has, however, failed to bring it under archdiaconal
visitation ; Stepney still remains in state quo. We ex-
press no opinion as to the desirableness of the position.
We merely state the fact. But, whilst such an independ-
ence exists, the Bishop was clearly in the wrong to send his
archdeacon to the Church of St. George's-in-the-East.
The only course open to him was to have gone himself.--
Bell's Weekly Messenger.