170
JAMAICA.
which brought on a severe attack of hemorrhage. He appeared determined to seek redress by a suit at law. On looking over the visiting magistrates' journal, we observed, that no complaints were made by the prison ers, a circumstance which it is evident does not arise from the non-existence of abuses. There were many complaints of the supervisor, against the prisoners, and the written direction of the magistrate in each case was, "give him a few spells on the treadmill." As no ex tent of punishment is specified, the jailor on such au thority may punish the prisoners ad libitum. We wereshe wn the corn meal and shads with which the prisoners are fed, which were of good quality. They receive one quart of the former, and one fish per diem. We afterwards heard a complaint that they were given with little preparation by cooking. After leaving the workhouse, we proceeded to the court-house adjacent, and attended a meeting of the vestry, convened to address Sir L I O N E L S M I T H , on his assumption of the Government. At the close of the meeting, the Gustos of the parish* detained the magis trates present, and in a very passionate speech, laid before them some charges brought against him by Lord SLIGO, who in a dispatch to Lord G L E N E L G , had stated some of the gross abuses in the Plalfway Tree workhouse, and had implicated the Gustos as cognizant of their existence.t Accusations of calumny and false hood were unsparingly heaped on Lord SLIGO. The ••' A parish in .Jamaica, in proportion to the size of the island, is equivalent to a county in England. T h e Custodes of the several parishes have corresponding duties with the Lord Lieutenants, and Chairmen of Quarter Sessions in the Mother Country. + See Appendix F. Sec. ii.