The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-30

News FROM THE BRITISH WEST INDIRs.-We
have Bermuda and Barbados papers, by the Lady
of the Lake, of very recent dates, for which we
| are indebted to the courtesy of Capt. Beeman n.
From the Bermuda papers we have nothing to
give beyond that published yesterday.
The adjacent British Islands appear, from what
we can learn, to be in very critical state, both
as regard the present wants, and the future COM
merci al projects.
The Vest Indian, published at Demerara, of
the Goth ult, gives an account of the opening OF
the Legislature land the address of the Governor.
The distressed state of affairs absorbs every
other consideration, and the first question which
will occupy the attention of the Legislature will
be, how are the laborers to be paid and fed, and
the estates kept in cultivatlonl
The Vest Indian. in the course of some re-
| marks upon this subject, says: - What shall we
40 Tor money and tor food, soon our own pro-
| visions are exhausted, which will not be many
weeks hence? This is the subject which agi-
tales the public mind, and in comparison OF
which, all others, for the present, lose their i'm
portance.
1--WE earne silly hope that they (the Legislature)
will lose no time in protesting against those
laws which are attended with such injurious
consequences upon our prosperity the naviga-
ton laws-which oblige us to pay IN specie tor
the supplies necessary for our support, that we
receive from the United States, at the same time
that the trade with them is put upon such pre-
carous and uncertain footing that we cannot
depend upon 1t, and are every now and then re-
duced to the most serious apprehenslons of a
famine amongst our crowded population We
look for remedy TO this evil system at the hands
of the Legislature; and no one will think we ask
too much from them in making this demand
The only thing unreasonable is, that it should
have been suffered to continue to operate TO our
injury for so long period; but the mind of the
public is fully awakened now, and they will not
suffer it to remain as a milestone upon their
necks any longer.''
In reference to the supervision of the West
India Bank, to which. we have already alluded,
the Vest Indian, In long account, gives the fol-
lowing facts =" If it is decided that the bank
can be revived, we trust that the question of re-
muneration will be strictly investigated, and
the times reDder necessary. We feel assured,
from comparing the expenses OF the West India
Bank with those Of similar institutions now ex-
listing, that the expenses can be considerably de-
creased We know that the manager Of the CO.
lonial Bank was receiving SIS, 600 year, when
the manager of the West India Bank was re-
ceiving &c. 900. We shall content ourselves with
mentioning this individual instance but if we
chose we could 60 much further, and show
that this excess OF expenditure was carried
through in more departments than one"
The CRors-The showers through the month of De.
cember have been light In parts of the parish and
the have not much In proportion they
did In October and November The planting of canes
has been general and the late showers will occasion,
doubt beautiful spring The wages Of the agricultural
Potatoes continue oheap-they selling, under
stand, at rs cents per hundred pounds.
The amount Of produce shipped for the year fol-
lows 81 64s hhds lsa7 tsrc.s 2oo5 barrels sugar;
packages arrowroo $50 packages ginger 366 bales cot
ton; 726 gourds aloes.