TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 197 



In the important articles tallow, hemp, and flax there has been a considerable 

 reduction of price in 1855, in England, in favour of the consumer; and the Russian 

 producer does not appear to have his diminished exports supported by high prices. 



Prices in Russia did not rise in 1854 in anything like the same proportion as in 

 England. The prices for 1855 are unfavourable to the Russian producer. With 

 low prices, working expenses increased by the pressure of the war, and an enhanced 

 cost of transport, the producers must be placed in a most unfavourable position. 



The cost of transport by land in Russia is still increasing, and as it must continue 

 very high, that alone will prevent the existence of any considerable trade. With a 

 price of ^32 10s. per ton for tallow at St. Petersburgh, no less than .^14 10s. in 

 addition is stated to be the cost of carriage to Memel, with .^5 more for delivery in 

 London ; and the price of tallow in Russia must therefore remain very low to allow 

 it to come to England in competition with supplies from other countries, and also 

 ■with the important article of palm oil, the import of which has greatly increased, 

 and which can be much used as a substitute for tallow. 



That Russia can export by land what she has hitherto sent by sea, is next to im- 

 possible. The distances to be traversed, the comparative absence of practicable 

 routes, and the bulk of the articles to be forwarded, would be great impediments 

 even in time of peace, when all the resources of the country were in free operation. 



The results of the inquiry attempted in the present paper may be thus stated : — 



That, previous to the war, Russia exported her principal productions chiefly to 

 England, and England imported such productions chiefly from Russia. 



That, since the outbreak of war, the exports of produce from Russia have 

 diminished to a greater proportionate extent than the general imports of such 

 articles into England. 



That there is not an increase in the value of produce in Russia to compensate 

 the producer for the decrease of exports, whilst supplies from other countries than 

 Russia will prevent the consumer in England suffering from very high prices. 



That the difficulties and consequent expense of transport by land in Russia render 

 the injuries of the blockade necessarily very severe. 



On the Condition of the Labouring Population of Jamaica, as connected with 

 the present state of Landed Property in that District. By Richard Hussey 

 Walsh, LL.B., Professor of Political (Economy in the Dublin University. 



Some years ago there were great complaints from Jamaica that the wages de- 

 manded by the enfranchised negro were so exorbitant it was impossible to continue 

 the production of sugar or other articles, without the employers being ruined. Be- 

 fore the blacks were emancipated, it was said much gain could be derived from their 

 labour, stimulated into efficiency by coercion ; and even after emancipation, the 

 employer, though cursed with an indolent workman, was allowed some compensa- 

 tion for that disadvantage by the artificially enhanced price of his produce, arising 

 from duties in favour of sugar and other articles raised in the colonies ; but these 

 resources being gone, nothing but ruin, it was alleged, remained for Jamaica. But 

 the very interesting work of Mr. Bigelow of New York, entitled "Jamaica in 1850," 

 brought forward some statements showing that insolvent proprietors, not indolent 

 labourers, were at the bottom of the evil, — much in the same way as in Ireland at 

 the time of the great famine. The Council of the Dublin Statistical Society were 

 induced, by the similarity presented by Mr. Bigelow's account of distress in Jamaica, 

 and the contents of their own publications relating to Ireland, to institute an inquiry 

 relating to the former, the result of which furnishes the subject of the present com- 

 munication. They forwarded a set of queries to some intelligent people in Jamaica 

 concerning the condition of the labourers and the state of landed property. The 

 replies were forwarded in 1853, and since that there has been an opportunity of 

 verifying them by comparison with certain half-yearly returns of the Jamaica sti- 

 pendiary magistrates, relating to the social state of that country, and made last 

 year by order of the Governor, Sir Henry Barkley. From both it appeared that 

 wages, instead of being excessively high, were wretchedly low, varying from 6d. to 

 1«. 3d. a day ; and the difficulty occasionally experienced of getting labourers was 

 explained by the fact, that their wages, low as they were, were sometimes promised. 



