The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-30
JAMAICAN PEOPLE
GIVEN NO CHOICE
High Tariff Bill Forced
Upon Them.
ENGLAND'S QUEER POLICY
CASE OF TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION.
After the Elective House Has De-
feated the Measure the Gov
ernor Declares It in
Operation.
ENGLAND'S QUEER POLICY
CASE OF TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION.
Special Correspondence of the Associated Press.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, March 22.-The
political crisis in Jamaica that was
foretold in the Associated Press dis
patch of February q has developed.
The colony entered the acute stage yes
terday evening, and what the next
week or day may bring forth it would
need wise prophet TO forecast.
The Legislative Council met on March
IA, and the Governors address proved,
apparently, a most conciliatory mani
festo to the people. The papers ac-
cepted it with joy. Within twenty-four
hours, however, it turned out to be
waste paper. At the next days session
the Government introduced new tariff
bill making drastic innovations, taxing
many necessities and putting on the
free list many luxuries.
The elective House declined to dis
cuss the bill, of which it had no notice,
and by unanimous vote threw out the
first reading. BY bubble the Gov
ernor ruled that the bill from that mo-
ment went into operation, adjourned
the council until March % (to-day) and
instantly convened the Privy Council,
which sustained his ruling and ordered
the new tariff in immediate operation,
concurrently with the existing one,
which expires March 81.
This act caused a commotion in COM
mercial circles. The general public was
not less excited. The newspapers, in
Guiding the Cleaner, perhaps one of the
most conservative and non-comm1ttal
papers in the British colonies, raved
and prophesied no end of evil.
1t was understood, up to yesterday,
that the elected members had deter
mined unanimously to- block all further
business until the Government yielded
to their constitutional right to accept
1s,11 n n
draw the outrageous ruling, as they eX-
pressed it, by which the new tariff had
been forced on the country.
The Governor yesterday evening took
steps to block this programme. He is
sued a proclamation prorogulng the
Council and another converting it to
meet to-day at o'clock. At the same
time he issued manifesto declaring
that with concurrence and under the In
structions of Mr.. Chamberlain, he
would by this step be enabled to re-
introduce the tariff bill and carry it
through, taking such steps as are nee
essary, and as he is authorized by the
constitution to take, to secure that OBJ
ject.
This means just what was forecasted
on reliable information in the dispatch
of February 81 and toward which the
Government has been king-that is,
the numerical increase of the official
side so as to outvote the electives and
force Government measures against
which the representatives are unani-
nous.
The tariff bill thus passed, a crown
colony bill is expected to follow, to be
similarly forced through To meet this
crisis, it is this morning reported, it
was at private meeting of the repre-
sentatives last night unanimously de-
cided that if the Government brings in
new official members and declines to
withdraw the new tariff altogether,
they will resign their seats in body,
thus compelling an appeal to the voters.