The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-12-25 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

REPLY OP THE HOUSE OE. ASSEMBLY TO THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.
" The house trusts that your Excellency's anticipation may be
realised, and that no repetition of the recent criminal and horrid re-
bellion may again bring destruction on the inhabitants of Jamaica.
The house thank your Excellency for the precautionary measures
your Excellency has taken to avert the possibility of a renewal of the
atrocities perpetrated only a few months since ; but the house feel it
their duty to state, that no permanent tranquillity can be expected,
and that no security for property and life can exist, so long as Jamai-
ca is kept in constant agitation. Our present uncertain state paralyzes
_alike the energies of agriculture and commerce, and necessarily tends
to subvert all assurances of permanent security for persons or
1 p roperty.
- -When the miseries inflicted on all classes by the recent rebellion
(which your Excellency has so well characterised as criminal) are
considered—miseries which your Excellency did not witness,
and can
scarcely imagine, it cannot he matter of surprise to us that the free
inhabitants of every class should endeavour by all means to save their
properties, families, and lives, from conflagration, rape, and assassi-
nation ; still we are satisfied that the energies of the laws of the island,
administered by your Excellency, are sufficient to suppress all acts
destructive of the public welfare.
"This house was no party to the measure by which an inquiry was
obtained in the house of the British Parliament by the West India
proprietors residing out of this island, nor do we admit that the House
of Commons can institute any effectual inquiry in relation to the social
institutions of this island or its internal affairs. To understand the
laws of any society, and the influence of customs and habits over
those laws, a personal residence among the inhabitants of the country
is indispensible. No evidence can convey over 4500 miles those cir-
cumstances which most materially affect the welfare of a people, and
which, to be appreciated, must be seen. Countries might be men-
tioned, where the laws in theory have been considered perfect ; but
where, after centuries of legislation, the people are starving and
wretched. This, we are proud to say, is not the case in Jamaica,
notwithstanding all the defects incident to the slate of slavery, origi-
nally forced on us by Great Britain.
" As this house never did recognize the resolutions of Parliament in
1823—as this house never did admit the right of the House of Com-
mons to legislate on the internal affairs of Jamaica, even when the
West Indies were indirectly represented in Parliament, we never can
Concede that a House of Commons, which is to exist upon the prin-
ciple that actual representation should be the foundation of legisla-
tion, can justly claim to legislate over us, their free fellow-country-
men, in all respects their equals, but who have not, and cannot have,
any voice whatever at their election, by whom, in consequence, we
are not represented—who are strangers to our condition and interest,
and whose attempt to dictate to us would consequently, upon their
own principles of their own existence as a legislative body, be tyranny
and not legislation.
" Experience prevents us from deluding ourselves with the hope of
a dispassionate and impartial result from the proceedings of any com-
mittee of the Commons House in relation to the West Indies, nor are
we strangers to the fact, that pledges are now being exacted from can-
didates for seats in the new imperial Parliament, to vote, in respect of
the colonies, according to popular dictation, and not after ample and
patient examination.
" This house has always declared that they will constantly and really
adopt every measure for substantially benefitting the condition of the
slave population, which our own local experience convinces us would
really conduce to their welfare, and not injure those rights of pro-
perty which our constituents were forced by the British government
to acquire..
" By a reference to the laws of Jamaica, your Excellency will
perceive that this island was Spontaneously providing for the protec-
tion and civilization of the slave, whilst the country which
_sold him
to us was only calculating the profits of the traffic.
" Our sovereign has declared to us that his Majesty has observed
with great satisfaction various provisions for the improvement of the
condition of the slaves, which, as his Majesty has stated, originated
entirely with the colonial legislature.
• " The finances of the country have been so impoverished by the
recent insurrection, that it will scarcely be possible to provide for the
island pay and subsistence of his Majesty s garrison, and this house
regret that your Excellency has not yet received from his Majesty's
ministers any answer to the humble memorial to our sovereign for
relief in this respect—but we do trust that the reply to it will be dic-
tated by a desire to show consideration for the eilects of the late un-
fortunate revolution.
" Your Excellency may with confidence rely upon our aid in enact-
ing every measure which may be required to discourage seditious and
inflammatory language, of the evil effects of which the recent disas-
ters and our present sufferings have furnished most melancholy proofs.
" No endeavours of this house shall be wanting to unite all classes
of -our society : and your Excellency may depend upon our zealous
co-operation in every effort directed to maintain the honour of our
sovereign, and to promote the welfare of this island."

DIS EXCELLENCY'S REJOINDER.
To'this address his Excellency was pleased to make the following
reply :
" Mr. Speaker. and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly—
. " I return you my most sincere thanks for those portions of your
address personal to myself, in which you express confidence in my
character and approbation of the first acts of my government. These
assurances acquire even additional value, from their being shared, as
you state them to be, by all classes of your constituents. I have also
heard with much satisfaction, that it is your intention to take mea-
sures for preserving inviolate the public faith, as well in relation to
the garrison, as in all other respects, so far as is compatible with the
consideration for the distress of your consitutents, which it is your
peculiar province to show, and which distress I most truly sympathise.
" I wish that, consistently with my sense of duty, I could here
close my reply, and_ refrain from expressing to you the extreme sur-
prise, and the deep disappointment, excited in my mind, by various
sentiments, and by ,much of the general tone of your address. The
speech with which I thought fit to open your sessions, was one which,
there is none amongst you can doubt, was conceived in the most con-
ciliatory spirit, nor do I believe that any one has thought of accusing
it of containing one-word at variance with such a spirit. It broached
no theory, it required no sacrifice. It announced only for the pre-
sent a boon and a concession, and for my part to report faithfully
and fully from hence; I know not, therefore, how it called for a reply
of so extraordinary and desultory a nature. You state mutual for-
bearance and conciliation to be the.principles by which the legislature
of Jamaica has always been. aided;g I regret the more that this day,
when I thought I had least right to expect it, you should have shown
towards me, this exception to your general rule. Many of the topics -
you have introduced I consider most inopportunely addressed to me
on this occasion, and to them, therefore, hold it to be needless to
make any reply.
''How far, for instance; yOu may consider it fitting, in the present
state of society; to make a disclaimer of any community of interest
with the.great body of the. West India proprietors residing in England
is a question entirely between you and them, and on which I shall give
no opinion further than this ; and when you make that distinction in
protesting your utter disregard and indifference with respect to the
proceedings of the parliamentary committees, you might in consist-
ency have recollected, that the first of theseinquiries to which you
state yourselves to have been no party, was repeatedly pressed upon
the government, in conjunction with the West India body, by your
own accredited agent, with whom you were in constant communica-
tion at the very moment too, when you had vacated the chair of your
own house, in order that your most distinguished member should, ac-
cording to your own votes, embark for England, so as to be in time to
meet the next session of the Imperial Legislature.
" It certainly would not become me to enter into any diScussion
with you as to the principles on which you suppose the representa-
tion of the people of England to have been amended by the bill passed
for its reform ; nor do I know by what right you assume in address-
ing me, that the West Indies were ever indirectly more represented
in parliament than they will be now. It was then, as now, only-as
representatives, legally elected by-the people of the United Kingdom,
to superintend the-interests of the whole empire, that gentlemen con-
nectiAl with this island could have a seat in the house, or could be-
long to one branch of that imperial legislature, the omnipotence of
whose united voice to legislate for the whole empire, if it so think flt,
is beyond dispute. This is a subject which nothing should induce me
to orh,,inate. It is one whose ,fruitless agitation can only lead to un-
necessary irritation. I regret most deeply that on such an occasion
you should have chosen gratuitously to raise so invidious a question
by stating, that you never did admit the right of. the House of Corn-
Mons to legislate on the internal affairs of Jamaica.
" For all your established privileges, I shall always maintain the
most inviolable respect. But as the representative here of your so-
vei'eigu, and amine, I cannot listen to the declaration of any such •
doubt addressed to me., without asserting, in the most unequivocal
terms, the. transcendent power of the imperial legislature, regulated
only hy its the.,
discretion, and limited only by restrictions they may
theinselves have imposed. The long experience, of the past, as to a
right which has always existed, is your best security for the future,
that it will never be exerted but in extreme cases ; and no one would
more deplore than mysslf, should imperious necessity ever require
such. direct Interference. But it is unfortunate, at this moment, that
you should not have rather preferred a temperate appeal to the justice,
than a vain denial of the rights, of the British nation. The undis-
turbed consciousness of strength on the part of a great and generous
people, is the surest safeguard that the nicest sense of equity will
'continue to act as a self-imposed restraint on the exercise of unusual
but indisputable power."' . .

the'Reatier arrived in the Downs, from Quebec, sailed the 20th
ult. : next day, off the Pillars, saw a deep laden brig, of about 160
tons, painted black, with a narrow red riband, and scroll head; could
not see her name, she was so covered with ice. On the 23d, off Fa-
ther Point, saw a brig hearing up, painted with a white or yellow side,
and black riband run through it, with apparently a bust head. On the
24th, off Cape Chat, passed. a light bark beating up, yellow side and
black riband through it, no head or bulwarks before the fore-rigging,
bright main and mizenmasts, and painted foremast: appeared like the
Delaibrd, Douglas.

VICE-ADMIRAL THE 'HON. HENRY BLACKWOOD, BART., K. C. B.—
We regret to have to announce the death of this highly distinguished
officer on Friday last, at Ballyhedy House, the seat of his brother,
Lord Dufferin and Clanboye, in the county of Down. The death of
Sir Henry was occasioned by a sudden attack of scarlet fever, with
which complaint his only daughter, Miss Blackwood, continues seri-
ously indisposed. Mr. Arthur Blackwood, who accompanied his fa-
ther, is slowly recoveringfrom an attack of the same disorder. The
gallant Admiral was in his sixty-second year, and was the fifth son of
Sir John Blackwood, Bart., by Dorcas, eldest daughter and heiress
of James Stevenson, En., who was created, after her husband's
death, Baroness Dufferm and Clanboye. Sir Henry early distill:-
guisliecl himself in his profession, and at the victory of
commanded the Euryalus frigate, and was'the bearer of the dis •
from Lord Collingwood announcing that glorious event. He s• s 141.
dered himself eminently. conspicuous by his gallant conduct when
.commanding the Penelope in the Mediterranean, by his capture of
the Guillaume Tell, a French 80-gun ship, which struck her flag to;
Sir Henry after a smart engagement. He subsequently commanded
the Warspite, 74, on the Mediterranean station, and was created. a'
Baronet of the United Kingdom by his late Majesty when Prince Re-
gent; on the occasion of his steering the royal barge on the visit of
the Allied Sovereigns to Portsmouth in July, 1814. Sir Henry's com-
mission of Vice-Admiral bears date July 19, 1821. Sir Henry was
Groom of the Bedchamber te his present Majesty when Duke of Cla-
rence, and he retained hiS place in the royal household to the period
of his demise. 'He Was thrice married. By his second lady he had
Captain H. M. Blackwood, of the royal navy (the present baronet;
and by his third, a sister to Vice-Admiral Sir J. Gore, lie has left
.two ether sons and one daughter. The remains of the gallant and
lamOnteti Ila-ronet Werefo be interred yesterday in .the family vault at
Balletic fly.