New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-14
JAMAICA.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE

Illinois a Grand battle has been fought 10 our hsseh-
bly Hall resulting as might have osen eaPecleu IVH
tie ytccillatng conduct Of the ei-deedm majority 10
tie eouplete triumph of the Government party which
durup the last three previous Sessions ut the Legsa-
ture had been left in considerable minority on every
opestion involving trial of strength In tact, the
laie majority may now be considered as completely an
affiliated never again TO be organized. Thus has Ter
minated tie proud boast Of Net OF men, who few
short months ago. protested to dare to the utt-rmost
the power OF the British Government tseii IN support
OF those prvil ges handed down TO them tnrougn sue
cceding generations, for nearly two ceniureS-PTEi-
lgos which in their address TO the Governor IN an
swer TO tie opening speech of the present Session they
bpocTiticslly We'd the trophies handed down TO
"tlem from The an stors.
The battle Of which | have Just spoken Is the pas
sing Of the Iup,rt Dates Bin. The triumph OF the
Government party consists in the striking out OF the
bill the TO them obnoxious Appropriation clause,
which being rejected By the Council IN the Two last
sessions leo 10 suspension OF Legislative lulctons'
and the consequent loss Of revenue for SIX months,
amounting 10 upward Of fI200J0, or $4,000 dollars
Of YOUR mouey--tle bills under which every descrP-
ton OF impOst was laid having elapsed, save as regards
perpetual -0d raiOrem duty OF y per cent on all IN
ported goods in liquidation Of the interest on the island
dfbt In lieu of tie rejected appropriation clause,
another clause has been passed, apprOpratng the rev.
enue derived under the bill in manner agreeable 20
the oil or branches Of the legislature In order to re-
fresh tie memories Of your readers respecting the
cGsus JeH which existed between the Council aud the
is,
pitulate tie circumstances under which the obnoxious
appropTat,n clause was introduced into the H. dur
ing the previous siOns, wei. as give faint outline
OF the clause itslf shall then proceed to state IN
what manner tlis claufe differs from the clause whieh
has been assentrd to by the other branches OF the
Legislature.
need not again enter into details Of the struggle
Wild since the year 1871, have agtated this Island,
through the CnGeayOrs OF the representatives. oi tAe
reorle TO reduce taxation and the strenuous opposition
l Il rrVful aVn M
Chamber. have explained that matter IN previous
letters Suffice il TO say, that in the early part Of this
year. in Consequence Oi bill to reduce ali puOc saa-
res 10 the exten Of onefth having been passed BY the
AsfeD bly, and rejected by the Council tie former body
determined 10 carry out, in an indirect manner, the
prncipe which they were prevented from directly
manta Ming in practice, first limited. BY resolution the
public expenditure TO the amount which II was caicu-
lated 10 reach had the rctrenchment bill been passed.
Ills done the House passed the Import DUTIES oil,
attaching to it clause to this effect: That the revenue
arising ir, m tie bill should BE- appr prated 10 the pay
nert Of al interests on he land debt to the luiia
ton Of charities ald chancery deposits, ami 10 lie
maintenance Of the police force, the public hospitals
ard tie prisons and that the residue be applied to the
raymelt of salaries and OtLer liabilities Another
clause CT tie bill provided for tie nAicon of ine Of
ESQ On tie ReceiverGeuera, as the Public Treasurer
sterued should that officer appropriate the moneys IN
Ii. lsnds received under the bill, otherwise than was
directed by the clause of appropriation This clause
was distastoiul to the Council, who argued that
it was unfair to appropriate the revenue
as TO give preference 10 certain classes
Of public creditors over others Ia other words they
oh ected to tie payment Of official salaries beng tie
lat tlirg provided for because they argued, that tie
revenue 10 be raised under the bill would not be SUI
fctnf, after liquidating the previously mentioned
csimf to pay the salaries OF the officials. Under
tic Sc considerations the Import Duties bill thrown
out eteatedy by the Council till Sir Charles Grey,
the then Governor being tired OF proro ins the House
SO often TO purpose refused to resort to mat useless
expeditnt any more, but TO await the instructions OF
bis Government The result Of tls appeal, you are
well aware was tie recall Of Sir Charles Gre AMI the
appointment of Sir Henry Barkly to the ViceroJal
Il tie leland. OF tie Legislative transactions under
HIS Exoellency have already acquainted you, in my
letter OF tie l2th as far as those transactions had then
t.TnFp red.
The 10Th having been fixed for the grand struggle on
the In port Duties bill there very full house on
tle afternoon Of that day. very lengthy debate, on
lie second 6adDg O bill to debar Oic ais from Mold
INC seats in tie House, heralded the more important
business Of the evening The bill was thrown ou!
AT about o'clock the great battle commenced with
the second reading of the Import Duties bill, after
which the House went into Committee on the bill
Contrary TO the practice OF our Assembly, the pre-
nLle of the bill contained the duration clause winch,
YOU may be aware, has always been another bone OF
contention between the several branches OF the Legs
lature in consequence of the reluctance of the As
sombly TO pass the Import Duties bill under the very
REGULAR circumstances in which the island aslong Deen
placed for twelve months whereas positive lnstruc'
tions were sent out from the Colonial Once to
Sir Charles Grey in lS49, not 20 pass any revenue
bill for a shorter period. Sir Charles, for the last
year or two, however, has on his own responsibility
astented several occasions, to the passing OF he
Import duties bill for much shorter time, under cir
eumstances which his superiOrs could not possibly lore
see 1t seems however, that the instructions OF Sir
Henry Barkly on this head more peremptory than
were those of bis predecessor-no discretion is allowed
lim-the revenue must be granted him for one year. at
least or he must accept it at all On the reading
of the preamble of the bill, it was found that the dura-
ton was left blank An unsuccessful motion was then
made TO strike out of the preamble all alusiOn to the
duration with the understanding that duration clause
should lie inserted is the usual course, at the con-
clusion ofthe bill The duration was then discussed and
ccmbatted with much spirit 1t was first proposed that
the blank should be filled up with the 3lst December
1854. An amendment that the 3lst May, l-0l be IN
serted was negatived. 10 10 u. The Both June was
then pTCposed to which February l. l-55 was offered
as an amendment, and lost 10 to 22 The question was
then put the seth June lc0i, and negatved, IL 10
/ 49, The Committed then divided on the original mo
| tion-uamely, the 3lst December 1854. The motion
was lost u to 49, The next division was between the
/ lst July snd the seth December, 1854 when II was
carried iorhe latter date 10 voting for and 10 against
/ H. | am particular in mentioning these several d.
visions in order that you may have some idea OF how
nicely parties balanced questions involving tue
most vital interests of the lsand-eyen the very consn-
uanee of preventative institutions. Such say advised
lyor have peculiar opportunities obtaining nlorna.
ton such subecsis the question OF the duration OF
revenue bills Had the Import Duties bill been passed for
less period than twelve months it would have been re-
iected by the other branches when Sir Henry Barky
instead of resorting to prOrogaon in order to give
tie Assembly an opportunity of reconslderIng the
question would either have proceeded TO put in force
certain powers with which he is said to be vested for
the carrying on Of Government, in the manner OF