, 1862-06-07

made In short time, and to be enjoyed in
England OF On the continent No one thought
OF spending money on public and permanent
Improvements; to construct roads sufficiently
durable to Withstand the torrents OF rain that
fall in the mountain districts Of this tropical
country, over which the heavy staples
might be transported to the sea vas
Was an expenditure OF money In the shape of
fixed capital that no one thought Of in the
general haste to be rich. The consequence
was, that the great and incomparab1y fertile
and Of comparatively little value. The es-
tatcs were chiefly owned by nonresident pro-
prietorE, who had no personal supervision
whatever over their West Indian interests.
The estates we're conducted with most reck-
less disregard Of all the rules of domestic
economy. The slaves were SO OEerWorked
TINT during the days Of the slave trade it Was
estimated that an importation Of II, 600 EiaTes
annually was necessary to keep up the force Of
350, Goo operatives. After the abolition Of the
slave trade the number Of slaves that died
was go much greater than the number bora,
that The annual decline became fearful for the
planter to contemplate; but it seems he never
learned wisdom aud economy in the manage
.ment Of his af1airs. The estates continued to
decline in the number and efficiency Of their
operatives, and consequently in profit, whilst
the proprietor contiued to luxuriate in the
cities, and at the fashionable watering places
Of Europe The consequence was, that many
proprietole became bankrupt, and abandoned
Their estates long before the act of emane5pa-
ton. The statistics chow that during the first
seven years of the present century the average
annual expoTtation Of sugar from Jamaica
WIS 133, ,000 hhds. During the last seven
years prior to emancipation the average ex-
porta.ion was &C, 0,tG0 hhds., showing steady
decline for more than thirty years. They also
show that during period Of fifty yeara pre-
vions to emancipation more than 200 estates
we're abandoned. During this time very many
OF the estates became involved and were mort
gaged for large SUMS Of money. Finally there
was all act passed by the island legislature,
INDUCED by The force of circumstances and ap-
lToved BY the home government, absolyiag
the slaves from two years Of their allotted
apprenticeship. This unexpected cI,nge lett
many planters, already toppling on the very
verge of bankruptcy, with no alternative than
to abandon their estates to their creditors.
The remaining planters, together With some
Of the mortgasers who had never been plant
crs uor desired 10 be, undertook to keep tlo
the cultivation Oh the estates by paid labor,
to prevent greater loss for it is well known
fact that operations on q sugar estate cannot
be suspended for single year without great
sacrifice. From this point forward there is
but little to chronicle but disaster in the lis
tory Of the estates. 1t will be readily under
Etood that persons so lately sustaining the re-
1atlOp OF master and slave were not calculated
to operate well together in the new relation.
The late master accustomed to having every
Thlm and caprice respected and obeyeu; the
late slave just entered into his new inheri-
tancc of liberty with exalted hut not we'll de-
fined ideas OF freedom-the consequence was
that many real and supposed causes Of ggiey-
ance arose; and these differences are said to
have been multiplied by the presence, if not
by the Influence, Of certain "stipandiary
nagietratee,' whose office Was created and
3rf1 3,+y4
il EDglaAd, who with Ill the zeal Of new r9n-
verts desired to shield the newly emaucipateti
people from the oppression Of the plan-
tocracy Of Jamaica- which ancient aud
highly respected class Of men had never given
| adherence to or approved the emanclp Ation
| policy: Il these stipendiary magistrates did
| from force OF habit, act sometimes in an arb:-
trary manner {for many Of them were retired
| military aud naval otlicers], aud thus, by too
| earnestly cspousing the cause Of tile manu-,
| nitted people, augment or multiply diiiicul
ties between the planter and his hands, they
no doubt did much good in checking tile ex
cesscs Of tlie employers. In sddit;3u to these
I rathcr-to-bc expected causes Of difference was
| greater one, which operated from the begin
nlng, and initiates seriously to this day against
the SUCCESS Of the Jamaica plaEtcr5-tlat is, {
luck Of capital Many Of the planters wezs
embarrassed to such L degree that it wa:
1ound impossible to pay their laborcr;
promptly. This embarrassment with some
| together with the dishonesty Of others, WI.
| loo great u temptation to curtail the wages 0
the 1aborer; go the slightest dereietion o.
shoriconliug was sure to be followed ny
| withholding Of part aud sometimes all tux
| wages. The courts of stipendiary nlayis
1ra'es, it seems, invested justice with 'ssw:f
wings" When complaint was lodged, iuquiF1
followed, and SO half, Or perhaps the whole
Of the plantation iurce was dragged to cnur
as witnesses, &c.; and no ma:tcr how th'
y loser. Thus affairs progressed in coutinuet
Wosry, disorganizution and loss, urtl q gene
raj dlstrust Of the planters prevailed, and man,
Of the negroes abandoned the plnntaslons. 4
this junc;urc, the vast and fcrdl1 dis
trict OF the interior was greatly in th
way Of the planting interest. These lionu
tain lands, which had never been cultivated fo
reasons already stated, now Offered the negro
home. He could not grow sugar and ru1
.l.3 WheIe; so, being rcinOtc from the So.
board, pas Of little consequence to hlm
| Those who retired from the estates soou u1
came proprieters Of from one to five acres I
| land. Stimulated by the example Of thes.
others iullo we'd, and those who remained q
estate luborers, woad not be conttut Withou
parccl Of land set of for their especial n5t
Oh which sufficient yauss aud poultry mi.t
BIZ grown tbr Il subsistence In case OF the p.
! tidy Of the employers. a short experience
operating this enall parcel Of Iald soon COZ
WINGED the negro that his labor there VI
more remunersa,iye than that given the estaI
+ at eighteen to twenty-foar cents per dA
and Eincc he is not entirely destitute of phi
| osoEhy, be soon c1lnr to the conclusion TIL
lis own stpatch'' must not be neglected. eve
: : | fcr estate Interests. Tue cuuseu u.nce VI;
. thai often when thr estate must needed Cuff
CIilte vas compelled to atteRd to his ns
, | patch" Az these negrocs had ouly '''c
:nrcy at will they we're, on sufficient prov
. cation, elected with the 1oes Of all the If
= / ihf1E had n19e+H th,3 nd
Ii.is ag;lln caused further dissats faction wi
; | cstale labor, aud further abandouulent
= laboscrs uutil il was almost Impossible to @
sratc an estate with ans Eulrantee for c
: .prnses, even much less prodt. Ofien VIII
. tic ptrtits Of tuv wAt>le sc:,svn depended on
= = few days OF close busiucss--thc canes to
+ planted or were already -cnt, aud must
= ground or Iost-tne laborcrs Won
= embrace tie opportunity tor extol
:, in= redress for past w1ougs, either
:, Insisting On working their o"n Lands, or
. making i *'gencral strikr;' the dcuaand
- possibility, after time, ol getting sutlicie
= c,,taiss labor induced H.Any Of tine rcnain
:, planters to abandon their estates. and X
, luauJ more to restrict their opura1iohs, viii
. was scarcely less DISASTROUS; FIR i: is Il II
y established fact that tue ti.tt char;ss Oh SUE
:. production must be distributed OVER and OF
~ large quabtity. else loss Inevitably accru
~ give III example 10 illustrate this, cited fr.
" y avluI experience III lie report Of the IA
I1.g Committee OF West India Planters a
q Merchants -
d rro:uet'n. Ezpdtre. Proceeds. Result
~ | ~ tons. E5.4G) 3,AU Ea.aJ+ 10
10 p" G,1G0 5,1Ga 2N0
r. y 2a5 T,a0o 5.2u0 Lou -
IS Thus it will he seen, that while the crop
If creased as three to one, the expenditure.
If crsasc! oD}y US seven 10 five. Al thu loS
!. production thc es:a:e lust e. 600 II III. hi.
: tst. the same rate Of wages being paii, tn
# | was lett profit Of 81 0CU.
d notwithstanding the losses incurred by
b stricted operations. it was hoped til 1t by
e aid of protected staple in the Engs-h Ill
e kt1, ttc Remaining estates luigut b3 urescrs
from utter loss until relief could be brau.
,e tempt made 10 supply needed Labor by iml
j, grafton. But this was iutcrdicted by