Evening star., 1899-10-11
People Of Jamaica Restless Under
England's Bad Treatment.
HINTS At ANNEXATION WITH Us
Public Opinion Greatly Excited
Over the Controversy.
AIMS OF lNJU S TIC E
Correspondence Of the Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
KINGSTON. Jamaica, October 3. 1890.
Apparently this colony is on the brink Of
a constitutional struggle with the imperial
government. This, at all events. Is the
view held in wel-informed circles The
existing situation is only the first result OF
the adoption of the report Of Sir David
Barbour on the condition of the island:
and the immediate effect has been to re-
store in every essential the critical condi-
ton of last March, when the conflict be-
tween the government and the popular rep
resentatives ended in the surrender of the
former on April II.
The agreement then entered into by the
government has been repudiated. On July
20 the text of the Barbour report was pub
lshed here. 1t was at once recognized that
the effect Of it's chief proposals would be
to deprive the colony of It's representative
constitution. Sir Augustus Hemming, the
governor, published a dispatch on Septem-
ber % from the imperial secretary OF state
for the colonies, Joseph Chamberlain.
which was virtually an order to put into
practical form the suggestions of Sir David
Barbour without consulting the wishes of
the colony.
The Legislative Program.
That dispatch foreshadows a legislative
program based upon the report, some OF
the Ch1ef features OF WHICH are liiSoihe
tax, a general land tax of six pence per
acre. and further reductions in the educa-
ton vote all of which are contentious mat
ters with the colonists 1t concludes with
two statements-that, in last resort, the
home government is responsible for the
financial situation in Jamaica, and that, as
a working compromise, the present system
of government has failed The governor Is,
therefore, instructed. before the legislature
is summoned. to fill up the number of
nominated members by which the govern
ment would be assured of majority, and
to exercise his power to declare measures
of paramount Importance, thus constltu-
tionally overriding the representatives on
financial issues In conclusion, Mr.. Cham
berlain expresses the hope that the elected
members will recognize that this course Is
based public grounds and is inevitable.
He remarks that any other attitude might
make wider changes necessary.
Two days after the publication Of the
dispatch Sir Augustus Hemming issued
circular inviting the representatives to nom-
mate a committee of two or three of their
number to confer with an official committee,
under his personal chairmanship on the
financial measures to be laid before the
council at the next meeting.
Public is Excited.
Public opinion is gravely excited by the
whole thing. The jamaica association is
organizing public meetings throughout the
island to vote protests and appeals to par
lament. The press is freely discussing the
situation.
Even the Cleaner, which is looked upon
as usually a semi-offcal paper, takes the
popular side of the controversy. Yesterday
1t remarked:
The political barometer is set stormy,
and hurricane of popular Indignation will
soon descend upon Mr. Chamberlain's head.
The immediate issue is not the program,
but the constitution of the executive coun-
Gil"
The latter remark referred obviously to
the governors ''ineffectual olive branch
The general idea, expressed by the
representatives themselves and by proml-
nent citizens in published interviews, is
that the REPRESENTATIVES should resign and
thus throw the whole controversy before
the electorate. preciptating a "consttu-
tonal fight to the finish. That finish,
at least one paper. the Advocate, defines
as passive resistance in the form OF re-
framing from paying taxation and from
the purchase of property levied upon in
consequence.
Another paper. the Times, edited by an
Englishman, who has no local interests be-
yond his journal, says:
Claims of Injustice.
1T is to the injustice and systematic neg
lsct that have marked the relations of
Great Britain with this island and the
colonies generally that we must look for
the disintegration of the British empire
Ii was JuSl SucQ lTedlHtul lufLt lOSl Hitdt
Britain her North American colonies in
177e, and 1t will be by similar course
of action that she will lose Canada, Aus
tralia and India in the future. unless she
learns by experience the necessity of bind
ing the colonies to her by a bond of af-
lection created by act of justice and fair
play Jamaica, of course, is too insignifi-
| ant to dream of independence; but the
| United States are near, and, perhaps, 1t is
| to the United States that our people will
| ook for the consideration which has been
| denied them by Great Britain
| Politicians and other public men an.ic:-
pate, however. nothing more sensational
| than constitutional struggle; and the
| idea seems to be to initiate this here an5
| then get it transferred to the house of com
mons Many hope that, when the temper
and resolute determination of the colon
are fully demonstrated, Mr.. Chamberlain
will see the eXpediency of not allowing
| the controversy to reach parliamentary
vote.