, 1874-09-09

been passed in what we may call the Parlia-
ment of the Colony" A somewhat similar
opinion was expressed in the Council of
Antigua regarding the Court Fees bill by Mr..
Reagan. He was under the impression that
the local Council could not amend or supple
ment an Act of the General Council, but the
contrary opinion was held by the Acting Colo.
NAL Secretary, Mr.. Burns. In this matter
the local legislatures have been under the me-
cessity of doing that which the Judges of the
Supreme Court should have been Empowered
by Federal legislation to do. The fees of
Court form a part of the revenues of each
island, and as such should, the papers think.
become proper subject for local legislation.
The st. KITS Gazette contains the follow.
ing
"Rumour states that Mr.. IRvlNa." our
late Governor, was most disgracefully
ill-treated on his leaving Antigua and as we
are now one colony we blush for the occur
renee" Such a report was actually circulated
after Governor Irving left St. Johns for
English Harbor to go on board the Steamer,
gays the antigua Times, but it was circulated
by one or two persons who endeavoured, and
failed, TO get up a demonstration of the kind
referred to but it was sooE discovered, that
the report which got abroad was without any
other foundation.
B~ARBADos.-The "Westindiau," in its last
Packet Summary, has the following
At the end Of August nothing looks better
than the young cane crop, The weather has
been most favorable thro' the month. 1t be-
gan with rain then az interval of 10 days;
followed by another 10 days. of frequent soak
ing showers, which have filled the ponds, and
invigorated the young plants. Every where
except along the northern skirt Of the island
fhA opn oNo t1n1on n hno1ShV V;~ono.o o,o.4I
and promise we'll for a fine crop next year. In
July the rainfall averaged 5.88 inches, aud it is
not less this month, both critical months for the
cane plant. The weather has been sultry with
variable winds accompanied by sufficient rain
to %saturate the earth, without flooding the fields
or causing a wash. Since yesterday there has
been a dry spell, which after the rains of the
previous fortnight, is a welcome change. In
dian corn and potatoes are coming into the
market, which continues well supplied with
American breadstuffs and provisions, althO'
there have been few arrivals of late, and the
Bay Is almost empty. The planters have no.
thing to complain of but the4ow priosaof sugar,
which by telegram they are informed was 1916
per owt. in the London market, a fall of almost
4 shillings, and scarcely above the cost of pro-
duotion. But this statement is not borne out
by the sales given in the papers by the Mail of
1Obui ISISuL OG6du6I AUTWeJ WulOu arrived
yesterday, made at from 19I to 23I. with a firm
market.
The planters are quite alive to the necessity
of improving the quality of their staple produce,
and reducing as far as possible the cost of Gull
%tivatiOn and manufacture, in order to enable
them to compete with the cane sugar growers
Of other tropical countries and the beet sugar
of Europe; upon which subject we have recent
ly published a series of letters on the cane oul-
tivation of Barbados, deserving the attention of
all interested in it, by a practical planter. It
appears from what our correspondent writes, the
annual sugar crop Of Barbados is obtained from
an average of 40, 1000 acres, of which 10000
acres are plant canes and 10000 acres ratoons,
and the yield from these ough. to be in favo.
rable years not less than II hhds per acre,
which would give a crop of $4,000 hhds, an
amount reached only in the year 1858. In ad.
dition to this breadth of land under canes every
year, there are 10000 acres under preparation
for the crop of the ensuing year. The total
quantity of land under cane cultivation is there
fore 10000 acres, nearly twO-thirds of the sur
face, the remainder under pasturage and provi-
sion crops, or occupied with buildings, roads,
ponds, warehouses;, and a slip of waste land
exposed to the sea blast all along the Wind
ward and Southern coast. Of the caneland,
GL---t -