We take from the Jamaica papers, which reach to the
28th of October, me particulars of the opening of the legislative session.. Sir Charles Metcalfe mentioned the act of the Imperial Legislature relative-to the govcroment of Jamaica as a measure which in all probability there
• t ' a. t• ,
would be no occasion to onfbree. direetedattention to measures of
localanmessity, a A majority of 18 to 14 agreed to refer the speech to a .Committee ; who prepared an ,address couched in mild tcrmS, to which the Governer replied courteously. The Assembly r6solved itself on the 23d of October into a Committee on the State Of the Island.; and, by a majority of 23 to 6, adopted a series of resolutions defensive of their conduct in refusing to legislate last year, condemning thc treatment Jamaica had received from Ministers in the strongest
gouge, expressing gratification with the disposition Parliainent had shown to protect their constitutional rights, and finally their' determil nation to proceed to business. The House then passed several money- bills, and renewed others which expired on the 31st of December 1838; Bills regulating contracts between masters and servants, and a vagrant bill, had been introduced. All was going on smoothly.
The Negroes were very peaceable and orderly, but still, the Planters complained, excessively lazy.
The accounts from Trinidad are cheering. Successful exertions were making to obtain labourers. The Trinidad Standard mentions favour*
able reports from Mr. Burnley, who was then in the United States making arrangements for sending out free Blacks. [Mr. Burnley haa since arrived in Loudon.] It was stated that from Tortola a consider- able supply might be expected, as in that island the estates were going out of cultivation. Grenada, however, was the island whence the actual emigration had taken place. Daily and weekly, labourers were arriving from Grenada, tempted by the high wages offered by Dr. Neilson on behalf of the Trinidad planters. 'The terms offered were four shillings currency, (half a dollar,) half a pound of fish, and a glass of ruin, for a task of 200 cane-stools, an able-bodied man easily doing two tasks a day : in addition, the labourer's passage was paid, and he would have a house rent-free, with as much land as he could cultivate : it was part of the bargain that he should work five days a week. The departure of their labourers had excited the utmost alarm in Grenada. The island was in a perfect ferment, and every exertion made to retain the labourers.
The appointment of Mr. Day as agent for procuring labourers for British Guiana from Barbados had been cancelled, and his proceedings stopped.
We are glad to see that many of the articles lately published in the Colonial Gazette have found their way into almost all the West India. newspapers. Referring to the first paper of " Advice to Governor Hobson," the Trinidad Standard recommends the description of the manner of' governing a Crown colony and managing a Legislative Assembly to the consideration of the legislators of Trinidad. The Berbice :1th:eraser inserts the same paper, and " Help Yourselves ;" and several relating to West India ailhirs have got into most extensive circulation.
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