And now, to be very brief respecting the AUTHOR.

Family difficulties caused the removal of himself and his father's family, in 1808, to Bristol, where, by the special kindness of friends, he was placed in Colston's school; from thence, in 1812, he was removed by his worthy kind relation, Thomas Hobhouse, Esq. of Bath, and placed at Mr. Hill's Academy, Almondsbury Hill, near Bristol, to complete his studies. In 1814 he was finally removed from school, and joined his father's family in London, when he was immediately placed in Messrs. Routh, Le Mesurer, and Co.'s counting-house, Austin Friars.

About the middle of 1815 his family, being intimate with a few worthy characters of Jamaica, then in London, say George Panton, Esq. and his family, of St. Thomas in the East, Mrs. Richard Panton, Manchioneal, and Mrs. Browne of St. George's, he determined on seeking his fortune abroad, and, accordingly, under the patronage of these kind friends, more particularly of Mr. George Panton, he sailed for Jamaica, where he arrived, at Port Antonio, in the ship Neptune, Captain King on the 28th of October, 1815. He was sent at once as a planter (there denominated a book-keeper), on Elmwood Estate, in Manchioneal, and having served his time, fully, as a book-keeper, on various Sugar Estates in Manchioneal, till 1820, he became Overseer of Whitehall Estate, in Portland, till 1821, when he sailed for England; but, in 1822, he again returned to Jamaica, under the patronage of several kind friends, but more particularly of Maurice Jones, Esq. of Portland, and was, by that gentleman, appointed overseer of Seamen's valley Estate, in Portland; but in consequence of ill health, in 1823, was removed, and became overseer of one of Mr. Jones's own estates. For some time Mr. S. was overseer of Salt Savanna estate, in the parish of Vere, one of Mr. Wildman's properties, then under the management of William Taylor, Esq., but, for the past ten years, Mr. Sterne has been principally concerned in mercantile. pursuits, both in Kingston and St. George's, besides having the overlooking a few small properties.

But, finally for him, early in 1835, in consequence of the non-interference of His Excellency, the most noble, the Marquis of Sligo, the then Governor of Jamaica, with the prayer of his petitions, as laid down in this volume, and the countenance given by His Excellency to his enemies, his business and pursuits, of every description, have been totally overthrown, to the present period of 1837.

FURTHER APPENDIX:

Since closing my volume, I have received, through a friend copy of the Jamaica Wharfage Law, under color of which the DANIELS of Saint George's proceeded to work my ruin.

I give it verbatim as it stands, in order that my readers may read and understand it for themselves, and then they will be enabled to see more clearly, the true sample of Jamaica Justice.

It is only necessary for a man to become a marked character there, and his destruction is soon decided upon; and that too under color of law, particularly when backed by the immense power then against me, viz. the Governor, the Chief Judge, and the Custos or Chief Magistrate of the Parish in which I lived.

Reader pray do attentively consider this, for it equally concerns yourself, as it does the Author, although he has been the only suffering victim.

On reference now to Page 61, will be seen the summons and charges preferred against me, viz. that Henry Sterne, Wharfinger, at Buff Bay, in the parish aforesaid, hath refused to give, to the said M. F. G. Lemasney, the weights of certain hogsheads of Sugar, sent to the said wharf, by him, to be shipped.

Then turn to Page 71, and read the summary trial as taken down by the Clerk of the Peace, for a copy of which I was compelled to pay the sum of £2 15s., and there my reader will see the charge distinctly set forth, viz. FOR REFUSING TO GIVE THE WEIGHTS OF CERTAIN HOGSHEADS OF SUGAR, SENT TO BUFF BAY WHARF TO BE SHIPPED.

And, now, pray let me ask, where, and what part of the law empowered the Magistrates, or say-DANIELS, to take cognizance of the charge preferred? I say, none. My Counsel, Mr. Watkis, to whom I had rode expressly more than 100 miles, declared there was none (see page 59), and that they had no power whatever against me, under such a charge; yet these DANIELS were so determined-had so made up their minds before the mock trial commenced, that they refused to hear all manner of reason-refused to hear out my witnesses, acted throughout the mock trial in the most disgraceful manner, as was afterwards proved by witnesses in an open Court of Justice (see pages 100, 101 & 105 to 107), and finally decided (see Page 63), that hav

ing duly examined the matter, they found the same to be fully substantiated and proved.

They, thereupon, set their hands and seals to the warrant of distress, for a fine of £25, to go to the Informer, LEMASNEY, and £5 costs for the clerk of the peace, and further costs for the constable.

This warrant, kind reader(see p 63), was the only document that enabled me to bring my action against them, and that only because they included costs the law only authorising them to lay a fine, and not costs, so that you see the ROGUES were caught in their own trap, by the ignorance of the clerk of the peace overdoing the thing, as the Chief Justice termed it (see page 105), the DANIELS sheltering themselves under the concluding clause of the act, "That the proceedings could not be removed, &c.," so that you see how easily a man might be ruined, and get no redress in Jamaica, under color of law, when the ruling powers are against him.

The whole of this most infamous and nefarious transaction was at once laid before His Excellency the Governor, ON OATH, (see page 37), and by him, I have full proof, was submitted to Sir Joshua Rowe, the Chief Judge(my avowed enemy), for advice, and yet no notice taken, or protection given to me, which if done, might have saved me from entering a court of law, and bringing down all the ruin that has followed.

Who then, I ask, that may read these pages, will be so callous-so lost to every fine feeling for themselves for their fellow men-for the sacred love of protecting truth and justice, as also of exposing and putting down oppression, as not to send in their mite, and assist me in this my most arduous undertaking.

Let the reader bear in mind, that this very Lemasney the now informer was the party who acted as agent for, and rented to me the wharf, and knew full well that there were neither weights nor scales at the wharf, wherewith I could possibly have weighed a hogshead of sugar, if I had been even called upon to lo so.

AND now I would give one word of advice to proprietors, who are residenters in England. To your discretion depends much the good result of things after the termination of the Apprenticeship system. I speak from a 21 years' experience of the Negro character-from a thorough knowledge of the climate and the internal resources of the island.

Hundreds of Sugar Estates will have to be abandoned and thrown up, and of course become an absolute dead letter; and

those only will be able to keep up, and pay for so doing, who take time by the forelock-who at once enter upon a liberal and conciliatory system with their Apprentices now-who are fortunate enough to have men as their representatives that will act up to these views-who at once totally abolish the system of coercion, and, in fact, whose grand stund is,—"To do to others as they would that others should do to them."

It is all visionary and false that the Negroes will not work without coercion. If this really were the fact, then good bye to every thing after the Apprenticeship. But this is not the case; and I know for fact, that where judgment and conciliation reign, a better order of things is daily progressing, and on such properties there is no need of the presence of a Special Justice; the Negroes abominate their appearance.

Those would act wisely who would take from them their la bor on the first four days of the week, giving them up the entire of Friday and Saturday, and only hiring them on these two days whenever required, always paying them money for such. This would be the surest method of conciliation that could possibly be adopted; those who followed such a plan would find more work done on such four days, than on the present system of five, by coercion. They would be grateful, and become at once reconciled, but at present they are only eagerly looking out for the termination, when they may quit the soil.

Proprietors must get rid of any thing like an arbitrary chaacter as their manager. Conciliation must be the watchword, as nothing will or can be done after the termination of the Apprenticeship, but by conciliation. A conciliatory character, to manage, will effect more good with one thousand pounds expenditure, than one of the old-school arbitrary characters will be able to do with ten thousand pounds. But conciliation, and a new order of things must commence at once ;-it must not be left to the end of the Apprenticeship; the people must be all cheerfully settled and satisfied before the grand day of liberation comes round, for then it will be too late, and nothing but confusion will be the result of things on large properties not so prepared at that period. Every large property intended to be kept up, should at once give up the most healthful and desirable spot to domicile them on, laying such out in neat little villages, and encouraging families with assistance to build for themselves comfortable cottages. If all this is not done, the e more intelligent and useful will quit and settle for themselves, and which, in fact, thousands and thousands are preparing to do now, purchasing lands for that purpose, for there is an abundance of waste lands in every parish of this Island, the population not being one tenth sufficient to keep up cultivation.

Emigration has been fully tried, and proved to be useless; and it only now lays with the present black population; and those only who commence at once, and follow the plans I have suggested, or suchlike conciliatory measures, will be cnabled to secure labourers.

I should be happy to suggest much valuable information on this head, to any wealthy landed proprietor desirous of embracing it,

AN ACT FOR THE GENERAL REGULATION OF WHARFAGE AND STORAGE.

[22nd December, 1803.]

HEREAS the act of this island, for the general regulation of wharfage and storage, made and passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, has been found imperfect, and further regulations are become necessary: May it please your Majesty that it may be enacted by the licutenant governor, council, and assembly, of this your island of Jamaica, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said act, and every clause, matter, and thing, therein concontained, be, and the same is hereby, repealed and made void, to all intents and purposes what

soever.

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the first day of January next, every owner or owners, lessee or lessees, of any wharf or wharves, or any person or persons acting under him, her, or them, and who shall receive payment for any goods, wares, or merchandise, landed on, or delivered at, his, her, or their wharf or wharves, or from any vessel lying and delivering thereat, or on the adjacent beach, the said owner or owners, or person or persons acting under him, her, or them, shall be deemed and taken to be a public wharfinger or wharfingers; and the said wharf, wharves, or landing places, shall be deemed and taken as public, and within the meaning of this act.