New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-24


,picuous among these last are Barbsdoes in the
West Incies. ard Eauritias in the indian Oce,n.
Barbados, relying solely on is own numerous ns
tive negroes. has not only carried the production
of sugar and the value OF estates TO point dec-
dedly beyond what they ever reached IN former
times bu. has supplied numerous emigrant labor
ers 10 Trinidad, British Guiana and ST. Vincent
where labor is less abundant process stll going
%. Msuritius, by the help Of immigration from
India. tie use of guano, and other Improvements
stimulated by the free-labor system, exports
row four times ss much sugar annually as she
did in the palmiest days Of Slavery while tee
Growth Of provisions and other products consumed
on the i.land is also far greater than formerly.
t. Judge from the speech Of the Governor oil Ja-
msics, delivered the other day st the opening oi Tue
legislature. Jamaica will also soon throw Oh the DIS
agreeable distinction which she now enjoys stu
=. progressive increase" says the Governor, "oo'h
4" in quantity Of the staple exports aud IN tue
3. amount Of revenue derived from duties on arti-
" Gle, Of consumption. Indicate a grsdua! improve
o. ment in the productive industry OF the Colony 10
81. which [ should advert with more unmIxed satis-
" faction were not sensible that the failure OF
the usual fertilizing rains in some OF the agri'
cultural districts forbids the expectation that the
E. growing crop in those localities will yield com
mensurate return for the cost which their estao-
..lishment and cultivation have involved.
I,sppears. indeed, from astatementiu IN The Jdma''
ca Dispatch that the fall of rain in the interior oil
Trelawny parish has been only third what II was
last wear. and much further below the average this
beirp the fourth year in succession during which
the October rains have either been partial or very
liobt in that parish. I'VE fear adds The Dis
patch. that We are experiencing one OF those
septennal cycles of comparative drouth which
at times aiillct the county And yet, IN spite
of these years Of drouth, the exports oi tne
island are increasing. The Governor admits that
complaints still come from the old plantations OF
= deficiency of continuous lsbor, which, he say', ne
can readily believe from 'the admitted fact that the
"porton Of the agricultural peasantry who, with
"their families, indusriOusfy ard sysiemlteaHy
"opply themselves to the indpendent production u
sugar and other staples rs dug ty day Increasing
Some of the Old plantations. it would thus SEEM are
ruunipg behindhand for want of labor, no. because
the negroes refuse to work aud are relapslng into
barbarian, bnt because, day BY day. they are be-
taking themselves more and more 10 the irdepend-
ent production on their own purchased lands of
sugar aud other staples. Like US white Americans,
the Jamaica negroes prefer to farm their own lands
"a large number of the most intelligent and indus
trious having acquired lands by purcha'e-to work
n, for fha ont of il uDt al
ways 20 prompt or certain as might be wished.
During the low prices of sugar these negro land
hold .rs preferred to raise provisions sugar would
not pay. Now that the price has risea they are
turning their attention more and more to the cane.
In another part Of his speech, the Governor -
though on all disputed points he leans strongly 10
the planter side. being himself largely Interested iu
West Indian estates-speaks of those negro land
holders as largely on the increase and consttut
ing class of society which may best be describ-
a" ed as corresponding to the ancient yeomanry of
" England"-a class which has mostly died out in
England, but of which the representative and Off
shoot is to be found in our American selfworklng
farmers The Governor thiuks that this class may
be adyantageously intrusted in their own iminedl-
the maintenance of the public peace by means Of
the authority which the office of constable confers.
He believes they would be proud of the distinction,
and he gladly, as he says, states his own conviction
that their general conduct as citizens and members
of the community amply entities them TO such
mark of the confidence of the government.
A new system for the maintenance of roads,
which have hitherto been almost as bad in Jamaica
as in some of our Southern States, is just the
point of being put in operation; and the Governor
speaks with much satisfaction Of the readiness and
cbeerfulness With which the special tax for this
purpose has been paid. The roads in each county
are 10 BE- under thc superintendent of separate
salared civil engineer. The Governor proposes,
among other matters, a census OF the popula-
tOn, there having been but one census taxed
that of 1e44. He also recommends a colonial
grant of money toward the maintenance Of 4 more
regular and frequent intercourse with the United
States. He states the number of children receiy-
ing education in public schools exclusive of those
in private seminaries) at twenty-five thousand.
These schools are under the direction ef the
various religion. bodies of the island, aud are
mainly supported by tuition fee. and the hberality
of individuals. The colony, however, contributes
from the public funds sum Of about $4,000 an
nuay. This number of pupils aud provision for
education-the pupils being the children of the
emancipated slave poPulation-will compare very
favorsbly with tbe provision made in several
of our Southern States for the education Of the
white population.
The House in which the President lives is un-
doubtedly matter of some interest to the mitured