and the extension of complete political equality; declaring, that if the demand were not complied with, the whole colored population would rise in arms, would proclaim freedom to their own slaves, instigate the slaves generally to rebellion, and then shout war and wage it, until the streets of Kingston should run blood.  This bold piece of generalship succeeded.  The terrified legislators huddled together in their Assembly-room, and swept away, at one blow, all restrictions, and gave the colored people entire enfranchisement.  These occurrences took place in 1831; since which time the colored class have been politically free, and have been marching forward with rapid step in every species of improvement, and are now on a higher footing than in any other colony.  All offices are open to them; they are aldermen of the city, justices of the peace, inspectors of public institutions, trustees of schools, etc.  There are, at least, then colored special magistrates, natives of the island.  There are four colored members of the Assembly, including Messrs. Jordon and Osborne.  Mr. Jordon now sits in the same Assembly, side by side, with the man who, a few years ago, ejected him disdainfully from his clerkship.  He is a member of the Assembly for the city of Kingston, where not long since he was imprisoned, and tried for his life.  He is also alderman of the city, and one of its local magistrates.  He is now inspector of the same prison in which he was formerly immured as a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition.

The secretary of the special magistrate department, Richard Hill, Esq., is a colored gentleman, and is one of the first men in the island,[A] for integrity, independence, superior abilities, and extensive acquirements.  It has seldom been our happiness to meet with a man more illustrious for true nobility of soul, or in whose countenance there were deeper traces of intellectual and moral greatness.  We are confident that no man can see him without being impressed with his rare combination of excellences.

[Footnote A:  We learn from the Jamaica papers, since our return to this country, that Mr. Hill has been elected a member of the Assembly.]

Having said thus much respecting the political advancement of the colored people, it is proper to remark, that they have by no means evinced a determination to claim more than their share of office and influence.  On the contrary, they stop very far short of what they are entitled to.  Having an extent of suffrage but little less than the whites, they might fill one third of the seats in the Assembly, whereas they now return but four members out of forty-five.  The same may be said of other offices, particularly those in the city of Kingston, and the larger towns, where they are equal to, or more numerous, than the whites.  It is a fact, that a portion of the colored people continue at this time to return white members to the Assembly, and to vote for white aldermen and other city officers.  The influential men among them, have always urged them to take up white men, unless they could find competent men of their own color.  As they remarked to us, if they were obliged to send an ass to the Assembly, it was far better for them to send a white ass than a black one.