The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

The papers by the Trent, which arrived at Southamp-
ton on Monday, give evidence that the recent measures
of the imperial parliament for the gradual removal of the
protective duty in favour of British colonial produce were
still the all-absorbing topic at Jamaica and in the islands.
The paperi contain numerous petitions to be presented to
the two houses of parliament. The following passage
from the petition adopted by the legislature of Barbadoes
will shew the general character of the representations
which these documents contain :
" We are reluctantly compelled to appear before your
lordships' house, for the purpose of respectfully repre-
senting to your lordships the injury and injustice which
will result to the West India colonies from the recent
measures of the imperial parliament for the gradual re-
moval of the protective duty in favour of British colonial
produce, unless those measures be speedily followed by
others alculated to enable him to compete with some
chance of success with the foreign slave-owner in the Bri-
tish markets. They (the petitioners) had ventured to
hope, from the strong feelings which were manifested by
the British nation against slavery and its evils at the time
of the emancipation, that in order to give that measure a
fair trial, and to freedom a chance of achieving a triumph
over slavery throughout the world, a long time would
have been suffered to elapse before any diminution was
made in those protective duties which had been imposed
in favour of British colonies, and which, even during the
time of slavery, it was thought but an act of justice to
maintain. This expectation has been disappointed ; and
your petitioners and their fellow-colonists find themselves
deprived of protection just at a period when they stand
especially in need of it, and when circumstances give them
a peculiar claim to assistance and support from the Bri-
tish nation.

" Your petitioners would respectfully claim for these
colonies that their exports should be admitted into the
home markets on terms not less favourable than those
which have been conceded to the corn and timber of Ca-
nada. They are not aware of any superior claim which
one colony has over another to the favour and considera-
tion of the 'mother country, and they are at a loss to con-
ceive upon what .grounds that policy is to be. defended,
which, while it invests Great Britain with the character,
and places her in the attitude of a kind and indulgent pa-
rent towards some of her dependencies, would exhibit her
in the light of a harsh and unfeeling stepmother towards
others. It is true, indeed, that the extent and import-
ance of Canada, and its proximity to the great transatlan-
tic republic, justify the propriety, if they do not compel
the adoption, of a mild and conciliating policy towards
that colony; but your petitioners will not do the imperial
legislature or her majesty's government the injustice to
suppose that the comparative weakness and helplessness
of the West India colonies are considered to impair their
claim to consideration, or to justify unjust and ungenerous
treatment."