COFFEE CULTIVATION IN JAMAICA IN 1891-92. PORTLAND. Portland Gap. Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers B. S. Gossett ... Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers 236 Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers 109 Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers 255 Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers 1,357 Mt. Industry Jas. L. Hibbert 80 931 Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers Properties with cultivation of less than 50 acres and small settlers 1,501 CATTLE TRESPASS. THIS matter is regulated by Law 13 of 1888, as amended by Law 14 of 1892, the provisions of which are briefly these: It is the duty of the proprietor of stock (including horsekind, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry) to take proper and effective measures to prevent such stock from trespassing on the land of other persons and he is responsible in damages in respect of any injury done by such stock trespassing on the land of other persons provided that within 48 hours of the discovery of such injury the party aggrieved gives notice of the nature thereof to the proprietor or person in charge of the stock, and allows him and his valuators free ingress to the land. No person in occupation of any land abutting on a public road is entitled to recover any damages for trespass by stock being lawfully driven on such road, under proper care and control, unless the land is secured by a fence sufficient to keep out ordinary stock of the class of animal committing the trespass. If in any action under this law the owner of the stock proves that his land is enclosed by good and sufficient fences and that he has adopted all reasonable and proper precautions for the confinement of his stock and that they have nevertheless, through some accident beyond his control and which he could not reasonably have provided against, escaped from his land the party complaining will not be entitled to recover any sum unless he can show that he had fenced his land with a fence sufficient to keep out ordinary tame cattle and horsekind. Any person who wilfully opens or leaves open any gate, or breaks down or injures any fence or other contrivance provided for the purpose of confining any stock, with intent to allow such stock to trespass off the land on which the same is confined, is liable, on conviction in a Resident Magistrate's Court, to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a period not exceeding twelve calendar months. POUNDS. THE Act 15 Vic., chapter II., sections 2 to 5, provide for the raising of a tax by the Justices and Vestry of each parish for the purpose of erecting Pounds, for the raising of an annual tax for their maintenance, and for the appointment by the Justices and Vestry of a fit and proper person to be the keeper of each Pound. The Justices and Vestry were succeeded by the Municipal Boards and these in their turn by the Parochial Boards who now perform the duties and possess the powers conferred by the Law quoted on the Justices and Vestry. The Pounds in each Parish are accordingly now under the control of the Parochial Board of such Parish. Section 6 of the Act enacts that "the owner or occupier, or his agent, of any plantation, pen, or other premises, who shall find any cattle, horses, mules, asses or sheep trespassing upon any land in his possession, may, if he thinks proper, take and convey, or cause to be taken and conveyed, to the nearest Pound the stock so found trespassing; and the Keeper of the Pound shall receive such stock and pay to the party bringing the same the sum or sums of money stated below, as a remuneration for his trouble." The same section provides against persons, in cases in which more than one head of stock is taken up for the purpose of being impounded, taking them one at a time to the Pound, in order to increase the fee. By section 7 it is enacted that no person when taking any stock to the Pound shall ride or suffer them to be ridden, and that the stock shall not be ill-treated or injured. Section 8 insists that persons taking up stock shall send them to the Pound within 24 hours of their being so taken up except in cases where Sunday intervenes. Other sections of the Law provide for the proper discharge of his duties by the Poundkeeper including the keeping of the Pound book, the arrangements for the feeding of stock while in the Pound, the separation from other animals of entire horses, mules, asses, &c., the publication in the Official Gazette of the list of strays, the sale of unclaimed stock, and the rendering of accounts and returns to the Board. No stock suffering from infectious disease may be received into any Pound, and in any case in which an animal becomes diseased after it is received into the Pound, the Law gives a Justice of the Peace the power to order in writing, that it shall be destroyed, and the carcass buried or burnt. The returns required of the Poundkeeper are very cumbersome, and in this and in some other respects an amendment of the Law is under consideration. The following are the rates payable by the Poundkeeper to a person bringing stock to be impounded (sec. 6.): : For every cow, calf, bull, heifer, steer, horse, mare, gelding, colt, mule or For every stray as above, if three be brought in together, at the rate each of For every sheep above five The following are the rates for poundage (sec. 10) :— For every head of horned cattle, for every horse, mare, gelding or mule For every sheep The following are the rates for daily feed and care (sec. 10) :— For every horse, mare, gelding or mule For every head of horned stock and for every ass For every sheep s. d. 1 6 1 0 06 1 6 3 0 20 1 0 1 6 1 0 06 A Bill to amend and simplify the present Pound Law introduced during the Session of 1892, but was withdrawn to enable the Government to consult the several Parochial Boards in regard to its provisions. NOTE.-For Pounds and Poundkeepers see Parochial Officers, pages 393 to 403. DIVIDING FENCES LAW. PREVIOUS to 1888, the laws on the subject of Dividing Fences were 15 Vic. c. 22 and Section 24 of 15 Vic. c. 11. Law 14 of 1888 placed the matter on a more satisfactory basis. Section 3 of the Law enacts that "every occupier of land shall, as between himself and the occupier of the adjoining land be liable to bear one half of the expense of erecting and maintaining a sufficient dividing fence to separate their respective holdings," while Section 5 provides for giving notice by the one occupier to the adjoining one, for construction or repairs of the fences, and enables the former to have the work done if his neighbour refuses, and recover half the cost of the work so done. Section 10 enacts with certain provisos that "where the occupier of land is not the owner thereof, and is not as between himself and the owner bound by the terms of his tenancy to bear the expenses of erecting or repairing the fence dividing such land from the adjoining land, he shall, on being obliged to defray any such expense under the provisions of this Law, be entitled to recover the same from his landlord as money paid at his request, or to deduct the same from his rent as the same falls due." PART XII. STEAM COMMUNICATION. As an introduction to the tonnage, itinerary and other particulars respecting the steamships now trading with the Port of Kingston we may briefly note the progress that has been made in regard to steam communication with this island. In April, 1842, the Royal Mail Company began their contract with the British Government for carrying the West India Mail, of which they enjoyed a monopoly of twenty years, it may be said without competition; they were followed ten years later by the Mexican Line of Steamers which were subsequently withdrawn for want of support. In 1860 Holt's Line of Steamers began trading from Liverpool to Jamaica and the Colombian Ports. Five years later the West India and Pacific Steamship Company bought their interests and have since maintained regular communication with Jamaica. The French Line (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique) began in 1865, bringing Jamaica into direct communication with France, Cuba and the French Antilles; but it has recently ceased its connection with the island. In August, 1872, the Atlas Steamship Company, under contract with this Government, despatched their first steamer to New York. Although the contract with the Government has ceased by mutual consent, the Company have continued to trade with Jamaica, and the trade has so largely increased that the Company have had to supply additional and larger vessels to meet the requirements of the increased traffic. In 1880 the Cunard Line began a service between the Ports of Kingston, Bermuda and Halifax, opening a new market for our produce. Large shipments of sugar have been made to Canada by these steamers. 66 In the same year the White Line of Steamers to and from London began to trade with Jamaica, followed by the London Line. In the early part of 1881 the Anderson Line was added. These lines have since been amalgamated and they now trade under the name of The Caribbean Company." The steamers of this line follow in quick succession during the shipping season and offer great facilities to shippers at moderate rates of freight. They go from Kingston to the principal out-ports and such other ports as offer inducements. Owing to the undefined movements of the steamers they can. not be relied on as passenger vessels. Previous to this amalgamation "The London Line" ran between Kingston, Belize and London: this trade has since been transferred to a new line known as "The London and Belize Line," which now calls at Nassau instead of Kingston. Communication with Belize is kept up by the steamers of the Honduras and Central American Line, which arrive here from New York en route to Belize and Central America every third Tuesday. The Glasgow Line of Steamers began trading with the Port of Kingston in February, 1882, their first steamer, the Ariel, arriving on the 26th of that month. There is also the Clyde Line, which is a continuation of the old established line of Sailing Ships of Stirling and Co., and William Wilkie and Co. These two lines have now been amalgamated, and under the style of the Clyde Line. A steamer is despatched monthly from Glasgow, loading homewards for London and Glasgow as may be arranged with shippers. In 1888 Messrs. Pickford and Black's West India Steamship Line, was CO |