The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-07-06
ECONOMY OF EMANCIPATION.

A practical exempifcation of the evil
influence Of slavery upon the economical
interests of IA country, is furnished by the
| following statement OF The relative value
of lands in the West Indies before and
after emancipation, condensed from ia
malca paper. In Jamaica, the value of
property in severa towns S as follows:
Rsletire valus Of Land uude, Starery
and Feed3m.
In st. AIMS, mos. of the landed prop
erty has risen in value since the abolition
of Slavery. We're. Land has risen ia
price since freedom; price Of Savannah
land in former time, q. 2s.; since free.
dom, 81, l2s; cane land, 49, as. per acre;
indeed, land Can not be obtained at any
price in the parish OF We're. Clarendon.
Land has risen in value 400 per cent
During slavery, Savannah land could be
bot for IT, or a. old currency; now the
same land COSTS g. II. and 81. old curren-
cy mountain land, which could formerly
be bought for 81. now costs from 81 to
I0J; and in the Neigh borhood of thriving
v;!'.'gvs, such as Four Paths, land will
fetch from 20l. 10 30l old currency. St.
Ann's Bay. Land has risen very consid-
cradle; in some populous districts in the
vicinity of the estates, where the laborers
are DESTROYS Of locating, rs value has
doI5led or trebled; ISL sterling has been
paid per acre for land 70: township,
which, four years since, would not have
been valued at 81. The rise is to be at
lrlbuled TO the fact, that bit few 3roprie-
tors Of estates will sell land 10 the labor.
ers, although attached 10 some OF the
estates there are hundreds of acres yiog
vase. and wholly unproductve. Tre-
lawney. Generally speaking, 1t has con-
siderably risen; there may be exceptions,
as in the case of pimenlo properties, that
article having considerably f,lcn in price.
Sp,Hish Town The value of land prop
erty has very considerably increased since
the abolition OF slavery. Many of the
are worth one-.hird more than
they would have been valued at two or
three years ago. S,me are doubled in
value; and lands which, during slavery,
might have been purchased at a. 81 Al.
per acre, now obtain ready sale a, from
g. to 20L per acre. From 2OL. to 6OL
PER acre have been asked for lands in the
vicinity of towns. which short time since
could have been purchased for ont -ralf,
il not ohe-thlrd OF the amount. Cornwall.
Land has risen here, but there is little
offered for sale in this parish.
10 ST. Kits, shortly after emancipation,
the value Of landed property became con-
sideraby enhanced but of late. in this
island, and two or three of the smaller
ones also, the great want Of capital 10 sup
port the loSsrs Of est,tes through contin-
u d seasons OF drought, with the strong
fears entertained by many that the impe-
rial parliament will admit foreign or slave
grown sugar at reduced duties, have some
what operated for the present to derreciale
the value Of the soil.
In Demerara, the value Of land has
greatly increased since the abolition of
slavery. Daring that period, the waste
lands would have been given to any one
who would have kept in repair the public |
road in front of the e5d.e; and it is noto- !
rious that ablndoned estltes or cattle farms
have, in former times, been refused as a
Tree g fl, on like condition. Ia the village
If Wllam stown the land is leased at fl We
oes III. Us. ster'ng) for lots of quail
er of an acre; in other paris a, fifty dol.
lars (about ten guineas) for half an acre.
The price Of land, when sold TO the la
borers, has varied from 81. to 1907. per
acre, according to situation, Sc. The av.
prage price may, however, be estimated
Mt PSI per acre.