The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-11 00:00:00

inanity throw them upon engagements with the planters as
a necessary resource. But I should fear that without it the
African immigrants introduced at the expense of the colony,
in order that they may hire themselves to work, will net
always be found to fulfil that expectation and repay the cost
of their passage.
Such are the measures which I have hitherto adopted
and recommended to meet the deficiency in the supply of
labour, and the steps which were necessary to give effect to
these measures, so far as they depended upon her Majesty's
government, have been taken,l trust, with the least possible
delay, and with all the care requisite to give them a fair
prospect of success ; and there is no other proper and prac-
ticable measure calculated to advance these objects in which
we should not most gladly cooperate with the legislature of
Jamaica to the utmost extent of the means at our disposal.
If the measures now in contemplation, or any others
which may be devised, for the introduction of immigrants,
should have an extensive success ; and if neither that suc-
cess, nor the anticipation of it, be allowed to interfere
with the diligent pursuit of every possible improvement in
agricultural and manufacturing processes, and still less with
the education and industrial training of the negroes, I trust
there is good reson to hope, not only that the present diffi-
culties of the West Indian interest may prove to be tempii-
eery, but that when they shall have passed away, any measure
of prosperity which nay be attained will be steady and
assured in its progress, and not subject to that constant re-
currence of revulsions and vicissitudes which was the charac-
teristic of West Indian agriculture and commerce in former
times.
The statements made to me by the gentlemen who waited
upon me with the present memorial were strongly corrobora-
tive of this hope. They assured me that they had no
reason to complain of want of industry on the part of the
labouring population. The evil was not that they were
wanting in industry, but that they were too few in numbers
for the many employments of industry to which a state at
freedom had given birth, independently of thou in whisk
the fixed capital of the sugar-planter is invested ; and that
such is the real state of the case is shown by the large in-
crease of imports which has accompanied the decline of
exports since the period of emancipation. Nor did these
gentlemen complain of the rate of wages as exorbitant. On I
the contrary, they stated that they would be content to pay
the present wages, if a sufficiency of labourers at those wages
could be obtained with certainty and regularity. Under
these circumstances, it is evident that no injury can arise to
the native labourers of Jamaica by the introduction of foreign
labourers; on the contrary, it is most important to the
natives that this foreign aid should be given, deeply in-
terested as they are in the general prosperity of the island
and the support of the educated classes, and those of
European extraction, on whom for a long time to come the
civil institutions and the administration of the laws must
mainly rest. And it is worthy of remark that, in some
colonies, at least, the negroes themselves have evinced no re-
pugnance whatever to the introduction of immigrant
labourers, such as might be expected in countries where
there is a competition for employment ; but that in many
places the strangers Dave been very hospitably received by
the °egrets, and treated with a marked cordiality.
If this reception and the advantages they meet with shall
induce the immigrants to settle finally in the West Indies,
there can be no doubt that their gain will be great in doing
so. But, if they shall prefer to return to Africa with the
property they may have accumulated, there will be a fairer
prospect than has ever yet been opened of at length intro-
ducing into that country the arts and habits of civilised
life ; whilst the success of free labour in the West Indies
will co-operate with these civilizing influences in extinguish-
ing the slave trade, and it will no longer be the interest of
nations claiming to be civilised to promote the worst barbari-
ties of thou on whom the advantages of Christianity have
not yet been confirmed.
I stated to the deputation which waited upon me some
of the views which I have here developed, and, at their in-
stance, I have thus communicated them to you; and, as it
appeared to them that some advantage might be derived
from making them known to the Assembly of Jamaica, I
have to request that you will submit to that body a copy of
this despatch.-1 have, &a—(Signed) GREY.