Degenerate Jamaica

New York Tíhm'S. A cpiilury Rro a naob liailoi from dio West, ratlier i lian tho Eat, lni'.ies. AVIirn ttit' novulisi of I lint perlo(i set abonl todepict fabnloiiivrcalth nucí neme oMuxury, he went to Jamaica ti liís Wi-iih Tominy Mertons ii!i!i. "an extronieiy wealihv rnan," linilod from tli-it ratnous isiüiid, nnd (Ikí piclura of Toniiny laking an aii-inif. ittencl'il by two no.;ro sl:ivc-i, livea in ilic moiinory oí milHoiiB of lier B'rittnnnle Mj-sty'a lieges in con' ncclioii with ilioir tirst iilt;:is of spieii'dor. Up to that tinte, :nul for Uilrty yon ra lntor, Jamaica wbs, in a certaiu wiiy, Ibe fashiou, whicli Kast Imlia never was. Blio oven luid ducal tí-oycruorü tt quite mi early date, tlio sccoinl Duke ot' Alberaarle, son of (lie ÍHH1OU8 George Moiik, havinv.' (-itt-nd1 ly Bir llinis öloane, tlio foiiu er oí' tlic LJrltUli AlusíMini, as lúa physician) obiaincd llie Gkivemorahip, chielly with a view lo raisiug a sunken treaBiira Bliip, an oJ"ctiii wbicli lie waa C'iinplole.y suci'cssriil ; and loug after carne a Duke of Portland to reign ai "Tlie Kmg llouse," as tbe (iovenin-'s niagnificciit roeiileuce was not inappropiiatcly styled. ïhose were i lie díiys wlien tlie" Buekfords, Sloi-er-, Ellisse, Lawi'cnces, Tliarpes, Scarlets, Vasaills, and nuviiy more were ' iiii immense incomcs trom the Island. ' üreatly woultl Hicv have bron l islied had tliL'V been told that a youtli of sfamily whicb, albeit respectable. J had tallen trom iis high estáte and ijecouie nierely provincial bourgeois, was going to strip thora of thoif splcndid poaition. None ot' thoso VVest '. (lian magnates who givc balis in Grosvenor Önuare and ilrovc oorrielea ainl barouclies whicli were the envy ofyoung nobles in llyde Pnrk liad tliëu even heard of William WilboFf'oice, and no more suspected the somce wlicnce the blow to strike them was to come than did Engluh gquires twcnty-iivn years igo reooguize their ruin in our Western látate. Euiancipation was - to Jamnica esiieoially - :v complete prortmting blow. There was, it is tnie, a compensation granted by l'arlianu'ir, but it was a more drop in the bucket. The Jamnica negro lost no time in sliowing that be ooitsidered lic had workcd enoiigli tbr all time. Asa rule, lie deoliued to do much more than would keey him. Iu süiiic cases proprietora act ually abaudoncd their property all together. Öome staiil and cked out a livelihood on the wreek, while tUe bestoü' kept an agent on tlie spot and lived in Kn-laiut on a lentli of their lbriner iucome. Thus mattere have goiie on tor niany years, during wliich a Urge proportibn of Jamaica properly has been sold In the Wet Indios lncumbcred Estale Court, and is 110 longer In the hands of the families of tiieoriginal proprietore. During the past live yeurs, liowever, au encourng ing circuinstiuice is f'ouiid In the succcss of tlio importatioii of coolies, wlio take most kindly to the suil, desire to stay wiien their perioil of contract expires, an-i SCC1U tikely to provea very valuabte eleineut ; and more re' ccntly a iiumber ot' Cubana have sought a refuge thcre, who are report cd to be pi-osecutíug tobáceo culture witli niucli success. A largo proportion of the island has been allowed to lic almost fiillow tor so long that it wou ld probably bear heavy cropping, and il' Jamaica lobacco gets a reputa lion at all equal to Uubiins there is no saying how soou the islaiul will not once mora assume a more important position emolir liritisii depenuencioB. Thus, while lieavy losses uid complete ruiu hasatiendcd the loi of individuéis the prob.ibilitics are tliat, iu Linie, Jamaica will iigain blossom as the rose, iis improductivo est tes n;aiii becoine vaktaiile, and its ueglected pliiutatioiu Iheabode of happy and prosperous leoplc. The niother country will be tho gainnr from its increased i-evenuea and the ruin wrou&ht by Wilüerforce wiil bu repaircd.