MEMORIAL AGAINST THE COUNCIL. 



49 



their power. It passed, however, on the 29th of January 

 last, I believe, only five members voting against it. 



The Colonial Standard, a journal printed at Kingston, 

 and the organ of the country party, commented upon this 

 measure as follows : — 



" We observe by yesterday's proceedings, that the me- 

 morial to the Commons is to be forwarded to Mr. Roebuck 

 for presentation, and that to the Lords, to Lord Stanley. 

 The selection appears rather heterogeneous, but we are not 

 sorry for it. The question is not one which has any bear- 

 ing on the political parties. It appeals to the independent 

 members of Parliament on all sides. The people of Ja- 

 maica have been subjected in their private fortunes to a 

 ruinous change of circumstances, and they have insisted 

 that the cost of government should partake of the same 

 cheapness as that which has been the ground-work of their 

 ruin. The council, composed, with two exceptions, of offi- 

 cial and salaried individuals, possessing a personal interest 

 in the question, have refused to sanction any measure of 

 retrenchment, present or prospective ; and within the last 

 five years have rejected five different bills, having one or 

 other object. In this course they have been supported by 

 the Colonial office, and the only appeal lies to Parliament. 

 It matters not to which side of the House the conduct of 

 this appeal is entrusted, but a more fitting man in the 

 Commons than Mr. Roebuck could hardly have been se- 

 lected. The analogy between the present complaint of 

 Jamaica and that from Canada, which was so very ably 

 managed by Mr. Roebuck in 1834, is complete— the only 



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