The Express. — 1866-11-14 (London, England)

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.  (THIS DAY.)  THE JAMAICA ATROCITIES.  The ignoring of the bill of indictment preferred against Ramsay, the man most deeply implicated in the charge of wanton cruelty, affords grave testimony, remarks the Daily News, to the state of party feeling still existing in Jamaica. Tho judge's charge contained a summary of the evidence respecting the murder by Ramsay of the negro named Marshall, whom he first flogged for the offence of being found without a pass, and then hung because in the agony of pain he ground his teeth, and Mr. Justice Ker proceeded to show that martial law sanctioned only what is necessary to the putting down of actual resistance, and in no degree cruelty and unscrupulous contempt for human life ; and he added that the tale told by the witnesses was such as it was a positive obligation to investigate. The instant refusal of the grand jury to look into the case at all, confirms to the uttermost the harshest words that have ever been written respecting the systematic denial of justice in Jamaica, whenever the question was between blacks and whites, and the decision lay with the whites—confirms that which the commissioners declared, and which the new governor, Sir Peter r:rant, has reiterated at the first meeting of the new Legislative Council, that the laws passed for the protection of whites and blacks alike were rendered inoperative whenever their application was invoked by the negro. And it is now clear th.t such a state of things is inveterate, and defies remedy. Happily it is not easy for us in this country to conceive the existence of class fury to such an extent, but when such things happen in an English colony, the graver is the duty which is cast upon us at home, and since Jamaica planters refuse to put the instruments on trial, it is imperative, for the vindication of national justice, that the hand which directed them should be arraigned. Mr. Justice Ker's admirable exposition of the limits and conditions of martial law has been deliberately disavowed by Jamaica magistrates, planters, and overseers. It is thus made necessary for the guidance of all our authorities, not less than for the assertion of the principles of our constitution, for our credit among nations, and even for our possible security at home, that an English court and an English jury shall by the solemn arraignment of Mr. Eyre declare whether we live under the law laid down by the Jamaica judge, or under that which is to be gathered ss plainly from the conduct of the Jamaica grand jury.  THE RECRUITING COMMISst,.N.  The Post contains an abstract of the report of the commission appointed to inquire into the system of recruiting for the army. The report recommends, it appears, that a distinct recruiting staff, to be entrusted to an inspectorgeneral and district officers, with a sufficient number of non-commissioned officers and pensioners, should be established under the immediate orders of the Commander-inChief ; that men should be enlisted for the service generally, instead of, as at present, for p irticular regiments ; that the rewards to enlisters should be increaeed from to 20s. for each recruit approved for a regiment, anti to 25a for each recruit enlisted and passed for general service ; and finally, suggests that the naval systsm of training boys specially for the service from an early age might be adopted. with advantage for the army. Other recommendations of the commissioners relate to the supply of forage caps and fatigue jackets without charge, and the increase of the scale of good conduct pay. With regard to limited enlistment they propose that the principle should be now still further extended, and that the periods of service should be altered to twelve years for the first and nine years for the second period for all branches of the service, thus making an aggregate service of twenty-one years before the soldier would become entitled to his pension. They recommend, besides, that those soldiers who re-engage at the end of the first period should receive 2d. a day of additional or long-service pay, and that an additional bounty should be offered to men under orders for foreign service to induce them to extend their engagement to the full period during which their regiment is expected to remain abroad. The report dismisses the subject of the formation of a reserve force as being a " very large" question, more fit for the consideration of cabinets than commissions; but it affords occasion for a few remarks as to the wisdom of being prepared for anything. The suggestions they have made would, the commissioners freely admit, involve additional expense to the country.