The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-30 00:00:00

what was the most effectual mode of employing it. He knew
In M some cares the advamtages of extensive irrigation
were not sufficiently appreciated. A peer of parliament, one
of the greatest proprtetors in JaOleilEA, Lord Howard de
Walden, stated that the expense of reclaiming 'snits in that
come wax repaid is • year or two. Then, he asked, why
did they not do it? The answer was, that they were too in,.
poveristied. Hot why did they not do it in their day. of
preepetity ? Ihe only reply to that must be, that they had
relied too erectly the aid and encouragement of the prin.
ple of protection. on
Here was a drain that would benefit
tthree estates, the cost of which would be onlyWhoooy, in, and
this
which would pay at the rate of 60 per cent.
motive we were makirg drains only expecting them to pay
four or five per cent. The hon. member for Rochester
told them the other night of an estate in Porto It:co.
Why, there was au estate in that Wand to which irrigation
was applied, and the production of which was raised from
ga Of MICIA. to 100 the first year. 200 the second, then
300, 600, and at last, in 1847, 000 hbils ! Why, if that could
be done— if such enormou. produce could be obtained at
such a small expense—if, in fact, by merely following the
system of Lombardy, where all cultivation was depen-
dent upon the prevention of drought*, they could
produce such results as these—surely they might
expect as the natural eon equence of for.ing
the planters to make exertioue that they would be able to
find some remedy for listing evils. (Hear, hear.) Lord
Howard de Wolden spoke of • tramway eight miles lung,
costing 1.3,0001., which would benefit 16 estates. Why, he
said, let guy, rnment be willing to aid the West India body
in uniting u. ch improvements as these. Let them apply
their money, not in aiding immigration—the effect of which,
for aught he knew, might ultimately be to entail pauperism
upon toe colony—hut in •striating these important improve-
ment. (Hear, hear.) Then as to &ensue. Lord Howard
de Walden gave strong evidence upon that point. He
spoke of the importaece, not of tile drain', but of
large common open drains, whick might serve the pure
poses of two or three estates at a time. Hid not all
this prove most forcibly the m cessity which existed for ati-
mul..ting the planter by a wholesone system of compel
Lion ? (Hear, hear.) They could not expect to get on
without improvements ; sod a proper competition, then might
depend upon it, was the best means of ensuring their cam.
Mel:Cl Meet. Let such a system be tri:d and he believed it
would lay the foundation of great prosperity in the West
Indies. (Cheering.) Well, then, he came t the last and
most important coneideration of all—would he give a protec-
tive duty of 10s. for the ten succeeding years? That was
what the 'menthe'. ,it in effect meant ; and where he differed
front his right hon. friend (alr. Goulhurn)—(and be woo
sure he trusted no difference would interrupt the affec-
tionate intercourse that existed between them)—where he
differed front him was in stating that it would be possible to
vote for these re.olutiotts without giving a hope that he
would be prepared to eatabli h a protective duty. If those
resolutions were voted, the very least they could offer w .uld
be, in his opinion, a protective duty of 10s. fur six years, and
thatwes a measure he woe certainly not prepared to assent to.
(Cheeting.) He was prepared tot opme such a measure
on these grounds : —that it was his clear and decided convic-
tion that protection was not for the interest of theWeet India
body. Now, why did he nay that the r. solutions proposed as
an amendment meant nothing but a 10s. duty ? Wby, be-
'mune the bun. baronet beaind him was not acting for him-
self. He was acting as chairman of a committee upon this
subject, and the only recommendation of that com-
mittee was more protection. The h sn. baronet had changed
his resolution before the subject came to be debated, hut was
there a single West Indian planter who would not say that
the resolution as it stood me ant a 10s. duty and nothing
else? (Ilear, hear.) Ile repeated th he wou.d not con-
sent to give that protection. The West India body being
distressed fur want of labour, lie w..a asked to give a ten
shining protection to the produce of the East Indies and the
'Hutment, where there was no deficiency of labour. Those
possessions wire to have the same benefit, although they
had not the same cause of complaint. What was the conse-
quence ? It seas admitted that some time must elapse before
the West Indians could get the supply of labour they
required. But the East Indies and the Mauritius
had this advantage at once. The protection to them,
therefore. would nper.ite as a stimulus to compe-
tition with the West linden in the way of all
others most likely to injure them. (Hear, hear.) Now,
let them consider wlv t object this motion was to
answer. In sinsequence of the difficulty in securing a sup-
ply of labour the West Indies would not enjoy the benefit of
the protection for a termer period tila/t four years at the
most. Well, what would Cubs be doing during that time
Would the people of that part of the world relax in their
exertion, ? They would be, he presumed, in earnest in
taking off the duty at the expiration of six years. Well,
would not Cuba say " We have a guarantee that in six
years we shall be placed in the same position as the
British cdonists; let us, therefore, use ever, means in
our power to extend our cultivation." (Hear, hear.)
Well, now, let them see what would be the position of the
West Indies during the same period. He was content to rest
the facts of the case upon the evidence of his hon. friend be-
hind him (Mr. Barkly). Now, what did his hon. friend say in
his evidence before the committee? In the West Indies,"
he said, " we are engaged in an endeavour to keep down
wages by promoting uu additional supply of labour. I
think a differential euty of 10s. would decide the struggle in
favour o: the negro." Well, but the last person with
whom he (Sir U. Peel) had any sympathy was the
negro, who was endeuvouring to raise the price of wages
upon his master. (Hear, bear.) "I think," continued
the hon. member in his evidence, "he would in that case
get his own way, and probably to the entire extent of the in-
crewed price of the produce." And then the hon. member
went on to say, that probably the increased price would be
about o'. per cwt. What, then, did he (Sir It. Peel) get ?
He " uecided the struggle in favour of the negro," and he
raised the price of sugar ts without giving the slighLest relief
to the West ladies. (Hear, hear.) Why, he should be
defeating his own object in every passible way. (Cheers.)
No, it was his clear and decided belief that to benefit the
West Indian they must establish • system of competition
which would give h., a stimulus and a motive to exertion.
Under that stimulus be did not despair to see re.
moved even causes of depression for which no legislative
remedy could be provided. Monopoly had done nothing for
the West Indies hitherto. In 1830, a committee sat upon
their care, and reported that they wished to be enabled to
compete successfully in the British market, at a time when
there was a Os. duty in their favour, and when scarcely a
cwt. of feign bugsr found its way to England. It was
with sugar as it was with corn. In 1836 and 1838, when
scarcely a single grain of foreign corn came into eonsump-
on in this country, they had committees to consider
the cause of agricultural distress. The commi tees
replied that they could devise no legislative remedy.
The fact was, that they could not exactly apprtion the sup•
ply with the den .nd. And so it was with the sugar grower.
He did nor at 1.11 despair of their entering into competition
fairly with the foreign grower. lie felt that a man must be
blind, indeed, to the signs of the times who could believe
that this system of slave labour could ultimately be main-
tained. (Hear, hear.) Look what was the interne condi-
tion of the slave states at this moment ; see what was the
condition el Cuba. (Hear, hear.) What said Lord Howard
de Walden, who had so recently visited that island, and in-
spect' d many of the estates deemed the most prosperous ?
We were told much of the thriving condition of Cuba. Whist
WAS the feeling there as to the security of the slave-
owners, and the permanence of their prosperity ?
Lord Howard de Walden had been asked by the
committee: " Are the overseers of Mien in Cuba
obliged to go armed l" His answer no.: " Yee, invariably
they carry cutlass and pistol, and have two or three blood-
hounds at their heels, for their protection." (Hear, hear.)
" It is quite the custom in the island for ',no white man con-
nected with any estate to go on loot any distance, and on
horseback he always wears pistols in addition to the other
weapons I spoke of." (Hear, hear.) When he looked at
the slave states of North America he perceived there the
same fear and distrust, the result of the same cause. What
was the reason why all discussions about slavery were
fiercely and peremptorily put down there, that abo-
lition was tarred and feathered ? Simply this, that
the slaveholders writhed under a sense of the utter in-
security of their position. (Hear bear.) What had been
the case with our West India col innice ? He had regretted
to hear the hon. gentleman taunt the West India colonists
with the complaints they had se repeatedly made, but cer-
tain it was, as a matter of fact, that these colonise had been
incessantly complaining for the last 130 yeses, under slavery,
under apprenticeship, under emancipation ; and why ? Be-
cause there had been a withering blight on the land that had
so long fostered slavery ; because the unholy fetters in which
its prepriemrs had enchained their fellow men had galled them-
selves, and made them feel undyit g distrust and insecurity.
(Hear, hear.) Let this country never feel regret at the
mighty efforts it had made to put an end to slavery, at the
magnificent determination it had manifested in the eyes of
Europe to emancipate the negro. (Hewn hear.) The slave-
holder might for awhile seem rich, prosperous, triumphant,
but nt no moment could a country be secure in which the
condition of elavery was permitted. (H. sr. hear.) He di i
hope that those governments which encouraged sleet ry
would be wise in time, and appreciate, ere it was too
late, the inevitable consequences of continuing that
system. (Hear, hear.) Did he himself think that
the measure of temporary protection proposed by his haw. I
friend 'solid have the effect of impeding the slave trade bee
would vete for it, but he felt that it would be of no avail ler
this purpose. He would appeal to the encouragers of shivery
all over the world, whether there hail not thins occurred of
late which should give them some sense of the insecurity of
their position ? (Hear, hear.) There had been mighty
convulsions in Europe ; the events of Paris had produced
events in Berlin, in Vienna, widen any men who should
have predicted them but • few month', since would
have been regarded as insane for merely suggest-
ing as possibilities. (Hear, hear.) These events were
stillgoing on already the mighty heavings of the tonal.
sioa were being felt on the other side of the Atlantic.
(Hear, hear.) Look at the state of Martinique. (Hear,
hear.) These things should be speaking lessons for the go-
vernments of Brazil, of Cuba, ay, and of the United States.
(Hear, hear.) All these would do well to take timely
warning, for, in his belief, these events in Europe must pre-
cipitate the extinction of slave and of the slave trade all
over the world. (Hear, hear.)ry He earnestly hoped that
this would be effected by the timely concession of go-
vemmente themselves, for certain it was that there
was among the nations a largely increasing sym-
pathy with the slave. (Hear, hear.) He that trafficked
in human blood, that dragged the negro from his native
shores to Brazil and to Cuba, though he prospered for a
time, might find, and this very speedily, that he was stand-
ing on a slippery place, and that his prosperity might have
• sudden and fearful fall. (Hear. bear.) It was his earliest
hope that the spite in would be discontinued on the motion of
the hitherto offending governments themselves, brought by
reflection to the true conviction that their interests herein
were identical with their daft,. (Hear, hear.) At all
events, lull sure he was that the doom of slavery
was sealed, and that the slave, wherever slave
'silted, mutt, are keg, be freed, (Hears MU)