it was thought advisable that, whatever else might be done by us, it would be well for us to communicate our thoughts upon the matter to you.

Premising that it is somewhat difficult to arrive at the truth in such matters, in the absence of full and accurate statistics, I may be permitted to give my opinions as to the social state of the people, the state of population, and the supply of labour; my statements having reference principally to this part of the country.

It has been represented by some, that the social state of the people of this country borders upon savageism; that they have not improved, but retrograded, since emancipation; that they are idle and vicious, and incapable of improvement and progress. Now I should like persons who are likely to be duped and distressed by such representations to come and see for themselves. No doubt but that there is much in the social and moral state of the people that is to be deeply deplored and probably some districts are much worse than others. But in this parish, (St. Ann's,) and in this part of the parish, there are everywhere to be seen pleasing signs of social progress. True it is, that very many are living in concubinage, and that a large proportion of the young people have illegitimate offspring; for those who do get married have generally gone wrong first. But a case occurred last year at Green-Hill, in which a young woman engaged to be married, being requested by the young man to go and live with him before marriage, refused; and he, thereafter, casting her off, she went deranged, and is still, though something better, in a very distressing state. She is a black girl of eighteen years or so, and is a member of our Tabernacle Society. And how many more cases of equally invulnerable virtue there are in the same class, who can tell? for it is not every such one who becomes maniac, and vice generally makes a greater noise than virtue. There are others vices too-such as lying and pilfering, relics of slavery-which are but too general. But, in spite of these, the number of respectable cottages built, or being built, with strong solid masons'work foundations, some with lower and upper stories, the upper part being framework, with Spanish wall,(about six inches thick,) plastered inside and out, shingled, with three or four rooms, not destitute either, in many instances, of good, useful, and sometimes ornamental furniture, and sufficient to prove a very encouraging progress in social amelioration. Then

there are generally small barbicus attached for drying their coffee and pimento, and not unfrequently a tank or cistern. All, too, have a few acres of land of their own, or else farm for the growing of their provision. Not a few, in this locality, are devoted altogether to the cultivation, on their own account, of corn, (maize,) yam, and other ground provisions, plantain, sugar, and coffee for the surrounding markets, or for shipment to England. Almost every man has his horse, and some there are who keep several mules and a cart or dray, and who perform the carrying work of the district at regular charges. A case occurred last year of a man, one of the labouring people, having £100 stolen out of his chest, and yet he had another£100 ready to deposit with a tradesman for the building of a house which is now nearly finished. There are few who have got thus far; but altogether there can be no question that the people are, as a whole in this respect, making encouraging progress.

Then, as to the supply and demand of labour, and the kindred question of population, I am satisfied that in this district there is no scarcity of labour. The few sugar-estates which exist in these mountains have as much labour as they can employ. So far as I have ascertained, the wages are paid the labourers with tolerable regularity, nor have I heard any complaints from those of our people who labour upon them, of oppressive treatment. (I have heard of such cases in connexion with the StewartTown Society, on the borders of Trelawny.) The wages paid are,for ordinary field-labour, 1s. a day. I was informed, by many witnesses, that some time in the early part of last year, when the price of sugar was very high, and some agitation was going on as to the increase of wages, the manager of one of these mountain-estates offered 1s. 3d. a day, but that the supply, on the following week so far exceeded the demand, that he gladly fell back upon the previous price. I presume, however, that a larger amount of labour can be commanded in the mountain than in the lowland districts. Still, I am quite satisfied that those of the estates who treated their labourers kindly and wisely at the time of emancipation, and who continue to treat them not as brutes, but as men, and to deal honestly with them, have small reason to complain either as to the quantity or quality of labour. I did think that the price of labour in a free market would afford a just criterion of the relative

position of supply and demand,-that if | demand was much in advance of supply, wages would be high. Now here it is affirmed that the supply falls far short of the demand, and yet wages continue low, -continued low while the price of sugar was high, and the owners of estates had every inducement to increase the products of those estates.

It is affirmed, also, that population, such as it is, is rapidly decreasing. True, that population must have been greatly reduced by cholera and smallpox; but that it is decreasing now, or that it is not increasing, it will take something more than mere assertion to make me believe. There is abundance of room for increase, thousands of acres of land still in the primitive forest state, and but requiring the axe and the hoe to make them become abundantly fruitful. Living, though sometimes doubtless comparatively difficult, is not by any means encompassed with such difficulties to the labouring population, as to present any serious impediment in the way of increase. The women generally are as fruitful as the women of other lands. They (the people) are not being pressed out of existence (as in America) by the encroachments of the white man. They are not liable to the fearfully destructive influences of the savage state. The prevalent immorality of the country (concubinage) is not of a kind to very seriously impede increase. Doubtless fewer children would die if they were better cared for in infancy; but I do not believe that, in this respect, matters are worse than amongst the poor of other lands, where the population continues steadily to increase. No doubt but that population would more rapidly increase, and the social and religious state of the people more rapidly improve, were the habit of early and judicious marriage more prevalent. To promote this end, our Legislature, if truly in earnest to increase population, and to promote their country's real and permanent well-being, might do much. But, unfortunately, the whole course of legislation has had (I fear designedly) an opposite tendency. The whole effort has evidently been to relieve the planters, and to keep the people in a state of dependency. The legal settlement of land is sadly too expensive sometimes the cost of conveyance almost equalling the cost of purchase. Taxes, too, are heavy, and have been collected in the most vexatious manner. They fall most heavily upon the man who makes the most earnest endeavours at improvement. His land,

his donkey, his horse, his cart, his house, all are taxed; and if he built a better house than his neighbours, his taxes are immediately increased. Some alterations for the better have been made since the arrival of Governor Darling; but it remains to be seen to what extent the relief may be real. Still thousands and tens of thousands of pounds are spent, or ready to be spent, upon fruitless schemes of immigration, while nothing can be done in the way of sanatory and other much-needed enactments, to improve and increase the population which are already here.

But, notwithstanding all, I am convinced that population is increasing. Down here, in a valley just below our residence, is a village established, it may be some sixteen or twenty years ago. At that time, as one of our Leaders informed me the other day, the settlers were principally recently-married couples without (or nearly without) families. Now almost every house has a family of four, six, or eight children; many of whom have also been married, and are now having other families. He assures me that, but for the recollections of personal friends, or members of families, who died of cholera or small-pox, not even the severe losses then sustained would now be appreciable. And this is but a sample of hundreds of other instances.

The fact of the case seems to be, that there is a large section of the planting interest which, notwithstanding so many expensive failures, still clings to the expedient of extensive immigration from Africa or the East Indies. It suits the designs of such people to cry down the predial population of this country, to affirm that they will not work, that they are incapable of improvement, that they are going back to barbarism, and are in a fair way to shortly become extinct. That the country itself possesses room enough for a very extensive immigration, were the immigrants suitable, and imported under proper circumstances, there can be no question. I suppose that the present population might be multiplied so as to become fourfold what it is without any material inconvenience, supposing that cultivation of the soil were to be correspondingly extended and improved, as it might be. But that is not the question at issue, that is but employed by some to give the semblance of truth to their assertions or their arguments. The question is, "Are there now sufficient labourers in the country to supply the present actual demand? Is the demand increasing more rapidly than the supply?" Now, let it be considered that the then

population of Jamaica was equal to the demand at the time of emancipation, and that since that time a large number of sugar and coffee properties have been thrown out of cultivation, (and I have not heard of any intended extensive resumption,) and no unprejudiced person will find difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that the supply of labour is equal to the present demand. Were it otherwise, wages would infallibly rise. But that for which the cry for immigration is maintained, is not the general good of the country, but the special good of the planters. They may say that that which benefits the planters must benefit the country generally; and this to a certain extent would be true; but if wages are to continue low, and the profits of estates are to be abstracted for the benefit of non-resident proprietors, it does not appear that the benefit would be so great as to justify the incurring of a large public debt, and the increase of general taxation for its accomplishment.

An immigration Bill has recently been passed through the several branches of our Legislature here, which, if carried into effect, would virtually restore a state of slavery. Immigrants are to be introduced from whencesoever they can be obtained at the public expense; are to be assigned, with or without their leave, to such owners of estates as may desire them; are to be attached to the soil for a period of five or ten years, and to change owners as the estate may change its owners; are to be liable to be apprehended, without warrant, should they be found without a note of leave, anywhere more than a few miles distant from the estate; and any one assisting, sheltering, befriending, or employing such a one is to be liable to a fine of not more than £20, or, upon non payment, an equivalent imprisonment. Yet the Bill passed the several branches of the Legislature here without serious discussion, and without any serious condemnatory review by any of the inland newpapers.

OUR sorrow at the departure of one of the oldest and ablest friends and advocates of Missions is associated with thankfulness that he has been spared to us so long. In the year 1813, then in the zenith of his power and influence as one of the most remarkable and useful Preachers of the day, he was led, together with the late Rev. George Morley and others, (of whom, perhaps, the Rev. William Naylor, of Birmingham, is now the sole survivor,) to undertake the formation of the Methodist Missionary Society, with the object of supporting and extending the Missions which had been already established or commenced in various parts of the world. It was then the day of small things, but a day not to be despised. The little one has now become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. Witness France, India, Africa, West and South, Australasia, the Polynesian Islands, and Central and Northern America, fields of labour scarcely touched upon, and some of them not contemplated, at the early period to which we refer. We have no hesitation in saying, that the Missions in those regions have all had a share in the benefit of Dr. Bunting's advocacy and influence.

Whilst he was equally successful in the formation of plans, and in raising funds for carrying them into effect, he peculiarly excelled in his attention to the young men who were selected for the several fields of foreign labour. Whilst he preferred a free offer of service for any part of the world, he would take the best means of ascertaining the adaptation and capacity of a candidate before his station was determined, and would then afford him every possible aid for fitting him for the post to which he might be assigned. His kind and enlightened conversations with young men under these circumstances are remembered with gratitude by many who enjoyed the advantage of them. But on no occasions were his addresses and prayers more impressive than on the departure of Missionaries to their several destinations. His pity for the Heathen, his zeal for Christ, his love and sympathy for the messengers of the churches, gave power to his language, and so inscribed it on the memory that no subsequent toil or danger, in the most distant parts of the world, could efface its salutary and comforting impression.

The use we would make of this solemn event is to bow with humility to the

all-wise decree of Him who gave to His church a gift so precious, and who has now taken it away; and to hope that, as at the death of Dr. Coke the spirit of zeal and sacrifice in behalf of Missions was largely imparted to the Methodist Societies, so on this occasion also, each friend of Missions may feel that additional responsibility ought to be assumed by him, now that God has been pleased to take from us one whom all regarded as a leader and standard-bearer in this great cause.

Dr. Bunting died at his residence, in

Myddelton-square, Pentonville, on Wednesday, June 16th, and was buried at City-road Chapel, on Tuesday, 23rd. His funeral was attended by the Committees of the Missionary Society and the Theological Institution, by the Řepresentatives of the other Missionary Societies, the Bible Society, the Evangelical Alliance, &c., and by a large number of Ministers and friends, some of whom had come from distant parts of the country to do honour to the memory of their highly venerated and beloved fellowlabourer in the cause of Christ.

June 12th.

-J. Buckley, Apr. 3rd, 17th, May 13th, 28th, June 11th.

-Miss Butler, April 3rd.

-Mrs. Stubbins, April 3rd. -I.Stubbins, Ap.17th, June 12th. PIPLEE-G. Taylor, April 13th. POOREE-G. Taylor, May 12th.

-J. O. Goadby, April 17th, May 17th.

CAMBRIDGE.

MELBOURNE.

£. s. d.

200