17 AUGUST 1839, Page 11

Accounts from time Test Indies reaelt to the loth of

July. The newspapers arc chiefly occupied with statements respecting the crops, and the refusal of Negroes to work for reasonable wages.

A spirit of insttbordinatitm had been exhibited by the Blacks in Jamaica, sonic of whom were resolved to hold possession of their lints and provision-grounds, without paying rent or giving work fbr them to the owners. The proprietor of Springhill plantation, in the parish of St. George, resolved to eject some of these refractory tenants ; and two Stipendiary INIrogistrates, with to body of constables, proceeded for that purpose to the plantation-

" The 'Negroes collected in large numbers round the first Intme thus entered, armed with cutlasses anti suppli..d with st u s, large heaps of :which had been collected for the purpose. The constables re :it t :mkt ol, and several wounded; whilst the party thus forced to retreat were pelted v,itlt ,.1411%. rs of stint cs, by which one of the Magistrates %ca.- struck, and so sel-er,•ly wounikd in the head as to be under thou necessity of obtaining surgical aso:ist nice. 'floe Negroes greeted the retreat, and the on floe 31agl-t rate, to if lo bong- nod repeated cheers; and one woman, who bad been taken into coo:tads under process, was rerun(' and carried home. The G.:,:entor, on hearing 01 these events, 11:01'1 de- spatched a party of troops—with what result 11.1:1 nor Lieu learned v. Ilea the packet left, but it was feared that blood would have to Is, shed, vs the Negroes had stated their determination to repel force by force, and insultingly defied the authorities to send Soldil..ra opinst them."

From 'Trinidad, we have to retalition of' complaints that the Negroes would not work, and that property was dettsiorating. In Itarbadoes, the state of affairs is little better. '• 'Floe working of the system" in Antigua is represented by the Bortasrall. quoted by the _Wu/ illy jour- nal of Kingston in Jamaica, as a tomplvre failure •— " After nearlv live years trial of the system, the pro-pcets even of Antigua— the colony wtikc1l swept ;iway a blues, repudiating the apprentice- ship—are getting every day worse. Idleness, aversion to continuous labour as in other colonies, is the predominant feature in the el.:trot:ter of the emanci- pated people ; onanv or whom, it the estates, and seeretino- themselves, living fly a system or miler 011 !Ill' 11,0:11' o.,tatCS-111.01it'- i11/112 cuhiyaIinu -earerhr S0011..11111 -:1' ■,,011 dwellings— domestic and moral relation- Lett io a I Vo'llat to piet tire to he placed bWC,u-,• the Abolitionists of pl u, -a in the West

Indies!--:y I., rs: so 11111(.11 has becf. •.... :•. r.. for the religions

and moral iolf:::000ment of tho.• g el:: : v I •o:re I r used, from their

steady and imlmtritms character when in a state of t•t be entirely

qualified for the good use nod 1111- rnjot a nt of the blessiir,i 1.t■ ellom. \Vliat n hitter dis -A,nintment, not to the gener• s inhaltilants of ouly, who

so imru•itl\ confided in their 1'aithlnl ‘..se.I ..urge of the Mull, • ,!, ,oeer„,„

but to ail me friends of Ab,,lition throa21oc,., ,

romidcr:.ti.m is this.—that the cam p of • •■ ' diseumm,rentent ' thrumloctt ti r I' ',.;

t:warned of thio:--that tleb• alum-e of fr.:, mono f .11plichl. T m he eanciroted I: • the eanancipation of their hranren inCodonim:, atoll in

the l'uoited States of America. flat do 11;,-,• clsi, care their distant I nethren in bondage:"

It is very easy to taunt the Blacks with 1,-; reckless " mod " selfish ; " hoot we a/Tr...heed that, wider similar ',1st: owes, \1-kite men would not lie more self-cleu, in'-, Pew, who (mold swage front it, wood(' toil in ss,esir-plantations, moiler to broiling sun, for the sake of siltirry a yawl .011,11,11' ! The editor of the .11,:aiticor Standard supplies to sufficient reason why the Negroes in that island refuse to work for hire-

in St. Christopher's, and sent to him at Antigua, with certain amend- ments, which he desired should be made in it. • The Council and As- sembly deny his right to do this. The debate in the Mouse of Assembly was very warm; some of the members advocating the same line of conduct as has been adopted by the Assembly of Jamaica, to suspend all legislative business until they had remonstrated with the British Government and ascertained what their rights and privileges were in future to be. Mr. Cunniughame, the new Governor, had been well re- ceived at St. Christopher's.