Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-07-22

JAMAICAN EGRO EMANCtPAiiON--lA AC AelISSS
accounts from the Island Of Jamaica describe
It's public affairs to be in the most wretehed
confusion The popular branch is at irrecon-
ciable variance with the Council. The treasu-
~ is empty. The island is without revenue, in
consequence of the expiration of the revenue
bills ard the failure to renew them, and the
whole machinery of government has been
brought to stand still.
The proximate causes Of this state Of things
are treated at some length III the New YORK
Evening Post. One of the editors Of the post
not long since spent some time in Jamaica,
and on returning published small volume
descriptive of the political condition Of the is
land, which contains, among some eccentric
speculations, great mass of information IN
regard to the former and present resources, and
the extraordinary decay of the island. He IS
as good authority as we know of for the history
Of the internal controversies, which have grown
up until they have efectually destroyed all reg
ular government in the island.
The leading grievance Of the people is ex-
cessive taxation, combined with excessive sala-
ries to high functionaries, fixed when the cole
ny was in state of great prosperity. The
struggle has been for retrenchment,and assumes
the shape of struggle of the immediate repre-
sentatives of the colonists with the appointees
Government, indirectly with the Crown and
Parliament, by whose authority these things Of
which they complain are done.
To show the necessity Of retrenchment in the
expense of Government, the Jamaica House of
Assembly lately published return of the estates
and acres of lands, which have been thrown
out Of cultivation, in whole or partially in the
island, since the lst of January, I848. The
facts are indeed startling, as presented in the
condensed items of the Post.
"Within that brief period, it appeared that no
less than l28 sugar estates, 95 coffee proper
ties; and 80 pens for eattle-breeding, had been
totally abandoned; that II sugar estates, Sc
coffee properties, and y pens, had been par
italy abandoned: that upwards of 100000 a
cres Of land had been either thrown out of cul-
tivation altogether or only cultivated in the
despairing hope Of better times; that the ratea-
bic value of this property alone had sunk from
e68,O00 to 900; that in the assessed taxes
loss Of nearly $4,000 per annum, had occurred;
and to complete this catalogue Of disasters, it
had been announced, officially, that measures
were in progress for the total abandonment Of
many more estates. A loss to the revenue for
the past year had been estimated at not less
than $4,000 but more recent events have proved
that a much larger loss had already been expo
rienced up to the first of the present month";
1t is no wonder that people thus largely
impoverished should mUrmur at paying salaries
that were high when the island was best able
to pay, as for example $4,000 per anuum to
the Governor, $4,000 to a Chief Justice, SlO,-
600 per annum to other Judge, $I2,500 to
Vice Chancellor, $4,000 per annum 10 six or
seven Chairmen of Quarters Sessons-corre--
ponding to Judges Of the Criminal Courts.
For five or six years TIE Assembly has been
attemptngto obtain reduction of these enor-
nous salaries, but have been defeated by the
Council, which is under the control OF the Gov
ernmcnt
In October last, however resolution was
adopted declaring that the expenditure of the
Island should not for the ensuing fiscal year
exceed 9I60, 900; or about eight hundred thou
sand dollars, exclusive Of the interest of the
debt. Retrenchment committees were appoin-
ted from whence proceeded bill reducing all
salaries twenty per cent and COMMITTEES
on ways and means. This committee reported
the customs bill and the rum duty bill, from
which two sources the revenues Of the Island
is derived chiefly, but attached to it an appro-
pirate clause, which after providing for the 1lsu
al and undisputed expense, prohibited in severe
penalties; the payment Of any Of the money thus
raised except on the scale of reduced expen-
5es. On this appropriating clause the unenvi-
able feud has arisen. The Council rejected all
the propositions, and with them the revenue
bills, aud thus left the Island without revenue
for the year.
Since that time the struggle has been one of
parliamentary obstinacy. The Governor pro-
rogued the Legislature, and called them togeth.
er in May, hoping to find the Assembly more
placable. He found them more determined
Similar bills were passed by large majorities
and again rejected by the Council. The House
passd a resolution to transact no more bust
ness with the Council, adjourned for a week, met
and adjourned again, and this course they have
repeated up to the present day. The affairs Of
the Island are approaching to a crisis, whielSo
might be revolution, only that passive resis-
lance is all that the colonists can offer to the
Grown, and the subject has to 90 before Par
Lament for decision, whether the Crown will
abandon its claims and forsake its pretensions,
or arbitrarily deprive The eolonists of all right Of
disposing of their money.
In either event there seems to be no prospect
Of pause in the decay Of the Island. In a few
years it Will hardly be worth anything to its
white population, who are rapidly abandoning
it, or even to the blacks, in whose hands, it will
return to barbarism. The lesson which all this
teaches is an instructive text for study of the
beauties and blessings of negro emancipation.
/ Nelc Orleans PicayuHe.
! LOVE LETTER AND REPLY.-Hdddm:-
worthy of estimation after long consideration
and much meditation of the great reputation
you possess in the nation, | have strong incli-
nation to become your relation. On your APP
/ nrobotiOD of this declarafiOn | shall make q