Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-28 00:00:00

COOLIE IMMIGRATION,

ad
A deputation of the Anti-Slavery Society b 0
an interview with Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, ,130
Tuesday, at the Colonial-office, and presentec!eh
memorial against immigration to the West Indio
and against the Emigration Bill recently PO 0.
by the Jamaica legislature. The deputation Oral
sisted of the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P., GO' el
Thompson, M.P., Mr. C. Gilpin, M.P., Mr. Sanl°4
Gurney, M.P. Rev. Dr. Carlile,'Rev. H. Richaif
Rev. D. J. East (Jamaica), Rev. J. Kennedy
Messrs. J. Sturge, James Cooper, W. A.
der, John Moreland, Josiah Foster, W. Miles, ft,
Sterry, Dr. Norton Shaw, G. L. Neighbour. J., el.
Burchett, S. Bourne, C. B. Warner, T. 11.
stone, and L. A. Chamerovzow.

The following. is the memorial referred to :
Your memorialists have bad their attention dirtioo
to the objectionable character of the New Immig.,11„011
Bill, recently passed by the Jamaica legislature, and
awaiting the sanction of her Majesty's government, 10
therefore beg respectfully to submit to you the rent;
which, in their opinion, justify them in praying Or
disallowance.
First. Because the measure is not required- „eii
demand for "immigrants" is founded upon an at-le:0,
scarcity of available native labour, whereas your 111 e
rialists possess evidence that the supply is not
sufficient to keep up the present extent of cane-cult'
tion, but considerably to extend agricultural operatio
Secondly. Because the introduction of " immigrallf
under indentures to serve for a term of years, espec',4
in colonies, such as Jamaica, where labour is air,e're
in excess, and at a rate of wages fixed arbitrarily bcOtio
hand by the employers, is a gross violation of $ll
economic laws which regulate the price of labour 0!.00
free countries, and involves a disturbance of the rela.',lo
between the employer and the labouring classes, 1u
detrimental to the interests of the latter. ofir
Thirdly. Because, under the actual system of " iminiced
tion," the colonies into which immigrants are introatl
• lerabl,' the eqef

nave to sustain a consic proportion of t the
which falls upon the very classes whose labour is
superseded. The contemplated measure affords e:tioo
tinent illustration of this fact. It fixes the prelle' otil
to be borne by the planters, who alone are to bell iv;
by the foreign labour, at two-thirds of the cost 01 the
importation ; but the remaining third, together Ivithaetis
salaries of the officials employed to carry out the sY-00
in Jamaica, and in the countries whence the iniraigris 1.4
are to be exported, will fall upon the people. tie
the more unjust and oppressive because the conilneool
they consume are already subject to an import ad fa'er
duty of 12 per cent., the proceeds of which are ehroO,
priated to pay the interest on a debt of 430 v,"
incurred for previous immigration schemes. ill be
Fourthly. Because, as the effect of the measure w,s;a is
to reduce the present inadequate rate of wages r",ost
the native labourers, it is calculated to provoke the rogr
hostile feelings on the part of the peasantry of the is' the
and to lead to their permanent estrangement fronlor
class to whom their labour is indispensable for the e

vation of their estates.
Fifthly. Because the introduction of hordes of P 4
and idolaters is likely to be vastly injurious t° tilt
and the religious interests of all classes tot
community, but will especially retard the advanceTd
of the masses, and that developement of the advail,'W
of freedom so longed for by the philanthropist and
Christian

Sixthly. Because "immigrants" cannot be 00t3b1Poew,
indiscriminately from Africa otherwise than by pur,ciabot
in the same manner as slaves are bought for the uceS,
market; nor from India and China in too many Wt.'''.

save by deception and fraud. at
Seventhly. Because the. "immigrants" will not be 0
liberty to choose their own masters, the kind of laborithei
which they shall engage, to fix the rates of wages
shall receive, the localities they shall inhabit, the
they shall eat, nor quit the colony at their option. col,
Eighthly.. Because experience teaches your men r oi'
ists to anticipate a great mortality amongst the "9,
grants," not only during their voyage to the is cell'
but after their arrival and before they become ,10 60
mated. In Jamaica this mortality has amounted "tlle
per cent. of the resident immigrants, during their tbe
of sojourn, exclusive of the numbers who perished 0
way.

.inthly. Because in the new bill sufficient 1 „
as not made for the protection of the "immigrant> >of
for his obtaining legal redress in all cases of an eff
the authority conferred on his employers. Fairth 0
because the local agent, a stipendiary magistvlbettioll
invested with almost unlimited power in the adjud'cl $ll
of alleged offences, which power, in the hands °,oot
unscrupulons individual, may be converted to the "
uses.

Lastly. Because the measure is not wished for - (led
masses ; and because, after Great Britain has esl3%s,e it
£20,000,000 to emancipate the slaves in her co10111"„011
is not to be tolerated that a system akin to slaverh;oo,
bearing another name, should be re-established in t"thot
Your memorialists have authoritative testinioni or
the bill was passed with precipitate haste, and no °P;3oll
tunity afforded for the people to express an opinion 11,ciati
it. They are firmly impressed with the conviction, "pir
if it should unfortunately receive the assent of theio
d -
penal Government, the consequences will be most fronl
trous to the colony, and plunge it in difficulties veil.
which lit will perhaps never succeed in extricating 101
In praying, therefore, for its disallowance, they eoliony,
that they are promoting the best interests of the °id
and of its inhabitants, and venture to express thehe
that you will suffer your decision to be guided by
broad principles of humanity and justice.

le bOY'
DEATH FROM EATING HOLLYBERRIES.—A ,or
named Fuller, the son of a labouring man at Northirea
died a few days since from the effects of eating the,ao
berries of the holly. His parents appear not to 004
known the poisonous nature of the berry, and allo,o'
the child to eat about twenty or thirty before it li'°„ id
covered by a neighbour. Though he was very ifil'ed
vomitted during the night, medical aid was not cfw biyl•
till the morning, when it was too late to save the c,
Mr. Harris, a surgeon, said the berries had prodllo.
violent inflammation of the intestines, and caused frisol
The jury at the inquest returned a verdict of
from inflammation of the stomach caused by ea'
vegetable irritant."