, 1880-06-26

the excise 75,254L In 1S77-7s, the same
duties yielded 245,075L. and 92Ssek. res
pectively. ! need not point out to you
that a. this is entirely the product of con-
sumption which Is purely voluntary, there
must in this time have been an increase 10
the consuming and paying power of the
bulk Of the people which is at once iucon-
sistent with the. idea of their dependence
upon. the sugar cultivation, or with The
notion that they are altogether an indolent,
degraded, and vagabond race of people.
There are other indications, everywhere
regarded as evidence OF prosperity and
thrift on the part of the working classes.
to which we may point as testimony that
the people in Jamaica. like their fellows
elsewhere, are becoming mindful OF the
value of industry and the advantage of
providence. 10 1868 the number of depo-
sitors in the Savings Bank was 1924, and
the amount of THAR deposits E5s.912. In
1879. after deducting some deposits on
public account, there were 6 ,222 depcsi-
tors, with a total amounting to f207 900,
1t was alleged that this large increase was
made up OF large deposits by comparative
ly well-to-do members of society, and at
torded no evidence Of increased thrift on
the part OF the people or of usefulness 10
the institution, but it was found on inves-
tigation that the largest increase bad taken
place in the plumber of deposits under &c.
For my own part, | do not see how these
facts and figures can be regarded as other
wise than affording evidence to the growth
Of a certain kind Of improvement in the
material, to some extent in the moral,
condition Of the lower classes Of the popu-
latioD. But there are yet other facts ; the
0 eady progress in material prosperity is
also shown by the extended area both of
cultivated aud Of grass lauds upon which
parish taxes are paid, and by the marked
increase in the demand tor such imported
articles OF comfort and convenience as
clothing, boots, and shoes, furniture, and
carriages. A comparison also of the value
OF books imported which in 1SG6-67 was
1924, and i'll 1877 was .G9 ,62S tends to
prove that there has boon come ~intellec.
tual improvement. While, as the amount
OF Colonial bank-notes in circulation,
which was only tS5;2l9, In 1867, rose to
fi43,77s,apart from the increase OF specie,
which there 10 no means of estimating
with accuracy, l think we may fairly
assume q large increase in the exchange
able value OF products, aud in the domes-
tic business Of the island. The increase ia
the circulation Of bank-notes | think very
remarkable, and wish to draw attention to
il, as 1t is wholly inconsistent With the
supposition OF decadence.
Collateral testimony is afforded, too, in
other directions. In u recent very inter
esting article by Mr.. Stanley Robertson,
In the Contemporary RevseU, on the pre-
sent condition OF Ireland, he refers to the
index OF the condition of q people which
may be found iu the way in which they
are housed. Mean and comfortless dweI.
lings imply as he says, not only a low
standard Of comfort, but often a low moral.
ity. He proceeds to inquire how the
matter has stood in Ireland, and arrives at
the conclusion that a great shifting 10 the
classes OF bouses upon which taxes are
paid is clearly proved to indicate q real
rise 10 the condition of the people.
Now we are able to supply this test to
some extent 10 Jamaica. The poor-rates
are the hOuse-tax, collected under Law
81 ct 1859, and under q previous Law S
OF 1868. applied by the Municipal Board
of each pa IRISH to the support of the poor
of the parish. They are levied on houses
OF the annual value of So aod upwards, at
the rate of Is Cd in the pound, but on
k~nAnA k-V~-- 49,