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JAMAICA.
four pounds ; and, lastly, a tall, sickly, colored man, applied to be appraised, who was by trade a cooper. His overseer swore that he could make three puncheons a week, and that his weekly labor was worth twenty shillings to the estate. The magistrate, ( P H E L P , ) put leading questions to the witness, as " H e is a very valuable man, is he n o t ? " " Y o u say he is a good workman ?" &c. The man pleaded that he was very sickly ; that he could do little but overlook others ; and that if he worked himself for a few weeks, he was some times laid by for months afterwards. An overseer was brought forward by him as a witness, who had formerly lived on the property for seven years, and who con firmed all these statements. The doctor, who had attended the estate during the last six months, was then called, who stated that the man had been under his care the whole time for ulcerated legs ; but he did not consider the sores habitual. The Special Magis trate, who is supposed to be especially entrusted in valuations with the interests of the apprentice, said to the two local magistrates associated with him, " what ever you say, gentlemen, I shall be satisfied with." One of them appraised the man at seventy pounds, the other at forty-four pounds. The stipendiary wrote the two sums on paper, and added sixty pounds as his own estimate ; the average of which amounts, fixed the value of the apprentice at fifty-eight pounds. We heard, subsequently, that this man had been severely flogged last week, by order of the Special Magistrate, which determined him to obtain at any price his release from bondage. Several cases of runaways, and of ap prentices charged with petty thefts of canes or sugar, were subsequently disposed of. The business of this court was conducted in a manner and spirit, than