WEST INDIA NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume v, Issue 422, 18 August 1849, Page 2

WEST INDIA NEWS.

The American steamers Falcon and'CSrer,eent City had again arrived at Clr'agres.' ■< For the safeiy of the latter vessel great fears were entertained, 'in consequfence' of her long'pas,"sage from $ew York. / She had '305, passengers. , ' ri',".< Advices have been received, via Jamaica,** few days' later from Vera Cruz than were biought ly the Dee — they vary very'rnucH from the accounts via I^ew { York. The capital was perfectly tranquil. In consequence of the deplorable state of the finance a consolidation of the domestic aiid External debt was dwelt upon as being likely to, take/place ;Nbjiijt as there was not to be found the man Mexico who practically understood financial matters, all projects hitherto offered had been dismissed as impracticable. The Minister of Finance had succeeded in effecting a loan of 800,000 dollars upon security of the 3,000;000 dollars indemnity money espectedi-.to* betreceived in a few months; from the Government of the United States. This advance, it was hoped would enable him to master difficulties for some time. Santa Anna's party continued to create anxiety ; his'" partisans were, however, principally confined to the army, and J£lie latter being almost entirely disbanded, the fears entertained were much less than wonld otherwise he the case. The chiefs -being all known to the Government, by using stringent measures it might at anytime rid the, country of these obnoxious personages- plotting for-* restoration of the ex-Dictator. . Commercial matters continued prosperous,' and- business active. It was remarked that as all the goods received were well suited to the demand qf the interior, sales were readily effected' at advan-, tageous prices. Nevertheless, as seveial vessels were expected from England, France, and Germany, a slight reaction was anticipated. The revised tariff t question continued to be discussed in the, Chamber, but! progressed rather slowly. Judging from appearance*, its promulgation was likely to. take rilaSe 1 aj)out the midiilejof March. { The" principal clauses had been,- T vo,ted, and. it, .appeared that the duties on most'descriptions of foreign merchandise would be reduced one-half. The' iast advices from X a mpica were favourable, and the political acrounts from every part of the republic satisfactory and encouraging for the preservation of peace 1 and tranquillity. , On the sth of J March there was an insurrectionary riof in St. Lucia. An officer who was in the garrison- at Fort Charlotte at the time has sent "us 1 the particulars. Information having reached the commanding officer of the fort that Governor Darling required the assistance of the .troops/* detachment was inline* diately marched inta .the town, when it was found that the Governor had been temporarily, besieged in the Council Chamber, but that the guard of black soldiers had succeed«'dYin repulsing the insurgents.. T-he rebels afterwards formed in great numbers on the'Champsie, and tjie /: military were, sent ;to,operate against them,' assisted by a- n,umbej, ol^special constable?, the police having been, pl,ac£iJ. Aors deconibai'. /^t/'t^e. .s,ig,ht of the' soldiers the insurgents retiyausjl Rint<j«iiih.e, bush, ant) /the

troops being ordered to advance id pursuit were attacked by a shower of stones and other missiles. The special constables gave way. and the Riot Act having been read twice, the troops fired twice and charged the insurgents, who tnen sought safety in flight, after several bad been killed and wounded. A great many attests 1 were made and tranquillity restored. Discontent was the cause of the" outbreak, which at one lime threatened serious results. On the arrival of his Excellency Mr. Barkly, the'new Governor of Demerara, he was received with all the honours due to his position. On the day after Mr. Barkly proceeded to the Court of Policy, where her Majesty's commission to him as governor, superseding Sir William Colebrooke, was read ; immediately thereupon a formal protest was put in^by the Hon. Peter Rose and four of the non-official members against the right reserved by her Majesty to make laws lor the colouy " with the consent.of her Privy Council," tbeusual reservation in all commissions Ko colonial governors, and the right by which, in cases of emergency, her Majesty issues her pT-oclamations for the governmeut of the United Kingdom during the recess of Parliament. Mr. Barkly appeared to have made a favourable impression upon «he colonists. A levee had been h'ald at the Government-house, which was attended by a larger assemblage of gentlemen than had ever been present on a similar 'bccasiort. The arrival of the new governor had caused several important changes in the principal offices of the colony under the Crown. - The Martinique Courier of the 13lh ult. mentions, that tne French consular agent and some English merchants having been struck in the town of Aux Cayes, Hayti, without protection at the hands of the local authorities, M. Raybaud, ,the French Consul-Gene-ral in Hayti, hastened to demand reparation from President Soulouque, who nominated an extraordinary commission to proceed at once to Aux Cayes to inquire into the alleged outrages, and to de_cide on the satisfaction to ba given. To re-establish the respect due to the character of the agent of the French Republic, it was exacted that the French flag should be saluted with 21 guns, and that the General of Division, Commander-in-Chief of the SoutherVjVrovince, should apologise publicly for the insults which his authority had not prevented. These conditions were acquiesced in by the commission} and all the persons who had .been iusulted, without any distinction as to nationality, were on the following day called together in the "great hall of the palace of Aux Cayes, and General Jean Cbude expressed his regret to them, in presence of tb« Consul-General, the commanders of the two French ships of war, the members of the commission, all the authorities, civil and military, in the full uniform of the southern province, and the staff of the garrison. In the evening the trench flag, was saluted with 21 guns, responded to by the corvette Danaide ; and by order of the authorities the town was illuminated, ' - By a singular coincidence, the British steamer Vixen, Captain Jenner, entered the harbour of Aux Cayes at the very moment that the Consul-General was receiving this just satisfaction from the Haytian authorities. England- not being represented there by any consular agent, Captain Jenner hastened to accept, oh behalf of the outraged British subjects, the reparation obtained by the Con-sul-General of France, and to express his sincere tbanks to him.