PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TQ
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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of opinion seems to have been in progress since the
opening of the new Assembly. The Governor says,
1849.
"A feeling that the proceedings of the Assembly Despatch No. 95 of October 22, had been extreme and unwise, had begun to diffuse and manifest itself; and your Lordship's despatch of the 16th April presented a consistent and distinct nucleus on which public opinion might be concen- trated and formed."
On the 29th September the House met again, and the Governor informed them that on the Tues-
day following they would be without a police force and without a revenue. A petition was presented from merchants and others praying the House to pass such an Import Duties Bill as would be acqui- esced in by the Governor and Council. The Assem- bly answered the address of the Governor in an improved tone, expressing an earnest desire to arrive at a good understanding if it could be done without sacrifice of popular rights. The Governor seized the occasion of emphatically assuring them (3rd October) that if they would but adhere in substance to the rules and principles of the British Constitution, they would not find him captious in making objections to variations of form which Jamaica customs might any have sanctioned.
Some delay occurred in re-enacting an Import Duties and Police Bill, and it became necessary to swear in the police as special constables and employ them on tick for the month of October last. On the 20th of that month the import duties were renewed to the end of 1850, and without the more obnoxious and unaccustomed of the clauses of appropriation. A Police Act was passed soon after. On the 7th
of November the annual bill for enabling the paro-
chial authorities to levy local rates was passed.
The questions which remained at the date (21st November) of the last despatch, were: 1st, The Rum Duties Bill, which the Assembly still withheld, with some indications of an intention to clog it with im- proper
clauses of appropriation, and probably with a desire to give effect to their views of retrenchment. 2nd. A Retrenchment Bill passed by the Assembly and rejected by the Council, which would have made reductions large in amount and unequal in proportionate pressure in the salaries of the Judges and most of the public servants payable by permanent laws out of the general revenue.
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Thus it will be seen that in Jamaica a material abatement of difficulties has been cffected by a steady and patient adherence to the principle of leaving local authorities and opinions to rectify themselves under the usual operation of the Repre- sentative system, and at the same time by an equal steadiness in refusing to implicate the Crown in the subversion of those permanent engagements of the Legislature to which the Crown had been a party in common with the other branches.
The chief difficulties which remain are those growing out of the injury to the public credit of the island occasioned by the violent proceedings of its late Assembly. The Governor has pointed out large and various measures of retrenchment and fiscal reform, by which these difficulties may best be inet; and so far has either the Local or the Home Government been from opposing retrenchment, that both have always maintained that the expenditure of the public revenue, as conducted by the Assembly, is most wasteful; whilst the processes of collection and audit, conducted under the same irresponsible au- thority, are such as to make the taxes unproductive and the disbursements ill-guarded. These are abuses which it does not belong to the Crown to redress. It is not without risk of offence, that it
can even recommend the Assembly to take them into consideration.
In the earlier part of this year, a desire had been expressed by a considerable body of the colonists, that the system of government now established in Canada should be introduced into Jamaica. The answer made on the part of Her Majesty's Govern- ment was, that there would be no objection to this, if the Assembly were to propose and to pass the laws necessary to give effect to it; but that this would involve the surrender by the Assembly of many of the functions which they now exercised: because, in order to place the Government on the footing of that of Canada, the Assembly must not vote money except on the recommendation of the Governor : they must devolve the administration of the expen- diture and audit of the accounts on responsible officers, and not keep it in their own hands; and instead of leaving the revenue dependent on annual taxes, they must create a permanent revenue for the