The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-02
Our Jamaica Correspondence.
RECEIVED by THE STEAMSHIP GEORGIA.

KINGSTON, ia, Oct. %, 1852.
The Social and Political Condition of the Island
The Weathn-Ihe Small POr-Ihe Legislature
The Public Roads, &c.
The departure of the Georgia enables mo to fur
nish you with short letter for the HERALD.
Jamaica is as she has been for long time now.
If there be any change in our social and political
condition, it is decidedly change for the worse.
Deeper and deeper do we sink daily into the slough
Of misery and despair Our agricultural prospects
are alarming and it seems pretty certain that with
out total revision the part of the mother coun-
try, of the present sugar policy, the production Of
that staple in this country will dwindle down TO
little more than will be sufficient fer home con-
sumption-th that's, consumption in the island How,
then are institutions to be kept up! And such
institutions too Imagine. American reader-ima-
CINE a small island, containing at most about
100000 inhabitants, spending annually, assessing
annually. G350,000 pounds, not dollars y and
most OF that population-aye, about sixth
eightbs OF it-are paupers, or laboters The
press OF the island are loud in their demands
for retrenchment in the public expenditure,
and the peoples representatives., er aecessttate,
seem disposed to vote for it; but of what avail
their good intentions? We have about half dozen
salaried officials called council-(a miniature
House OF Lords)- and the acts of the popular as
sembIy must receive their assent, and that of the
Govgnor, before they can become law. Ofcourse,
retrchchment would affect these salaried officials,
and therefore they put their veto on oil measures
contemplating q reduction in the expenditures; and
this has been submitted to by the people of Jamaica
for years past. How much longer they will consent
to have their rights invaded by this miserable oil
gaIchy, am unable to say.
The weather, for the last two weeks, has been
very rainy; and on one or two occasions the wind
has been SO high that might almost say We have
had hurricane. Thick clouds, which lower whilst
write, -portend still more rain. Much damage has
been done to properties and streets earfuly
destroyed, somuch so indeed, as to render them ac
tualy dangerous to drive through The works Of the
Water Company have likewise sustained great dam
age and temporary suspension in the supply of wa
ter to the public has been the consequence Scarcely
mail, for the last two weeks, has arrived at the
Post Office bore at its proper time, the nnumerabe
rivers over which the post men have to ride, being
50 dreadfully and alarmingly high. When the pre-
sent weather abates, We may expect fne, cool
atmosphere; at present, with all the rain that has
fallen, the atmosphere is very close and sultry.
The small pox still RACES in many parts Of the
country, but may be said to have abated-slmoI.
entirely disappeared in Kingston.
The Governor has issued his proclamation Ealing
tho Legislature to meet for the despat Oh of public
business, on the 9th Of November.
Last night there was some disturbance on the
public square Of this city, between the black SOL
diery-o a section of them and the civilians. A
police sergeant was much beaten, and so other
parties. The row will no doubt form the subject Of
prompt judicial investigation.
Throughout the island, the public roads have be-
come dangerous, owing to the great rains
Except the prevailing epidemic, no other disease
prevails