The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-09 00:00:00

all plain that We a!
.511311 be glad to hear

e not bound by his opinions, we
from him again.—ED. SIN.]

imMIt4RAII6N_ IN THE WEST

INDIES.

•To 7.118 Liii7Ok bl' 11-ft SUN.
Sir—ln /'he Slut of Monday, the itb, is an atticle
irPon
,in the Colonial Gazette,
entitled " now to save the West Indies and aboliah
Negro Slavery," in which you lean to the opinion that
the Weit India proprietors are not earnest in Anonr
desire for the immigration of free labourers, and that
you discredit that the Government and abolitionists
throw obstacles in the way of such immigration."
Should you be disposed to look further into the ease
as regards the West India proprietors; you will find that
those of British Guiana at least have most anxiously at
heart the immigration of free labourers, and most natu-
rally have, as being the only means of saving their pro;
poetics froth ruin, and tile only possible way they can
look forward with hope to the resources of that invalua
able colony being called forth. Any one that has vi-
sited it will be ready to admit from the luxuriousness of
its soil, and the extent of its territory; that with suffi-
cient free labour it would not only be able to supply
Great Britain with sufficient colonial produce, but pro-
bably the whole of Europe. Can any one then, for an
instant, doubt that the proprietors of British Guiana
rest all their hopes on a plentiful supply of free labour,
under whatever salutary restrictions this necessary boon
be granted % Now, as to the difficulties and obstacles
which they have hitherto had to encounter in oba
taming immigrants. In the first place the Coolies
ars prevented from emigrating by Orders in Coun-
cil, but even were they permitted to leave India
the expense of their voyage, outfit, and provision oh the
voyage would have to be defrayed by the parties who
sought their services, which, as matters stood, they
could only securely advance by having a guarantee under
the form of an indenture, or some engagement that such
men, on landing in the colony they were engaged to
come to, would either give their services for hire to the
parties that had brought them, or, at all events, until-
such time as the expense incurred had been redeemed
or otherwise reimbursed. But, by way of a total
bar to this end, they are met on arrival in
British Guiana and such other colonies or islands as
are governed by " Order.: in Courier (as British
Guiana, Trinidad, St. Lucie, &c., &c.) by an Order in
Council which cancels all agreemeets made except after
arrival in the colony itself. Thus arc the importers of
the free labourers Fable to be deprived, not only of all
direct benefit for the trouble and expense they have
put themselves to, but lose the whole outlay so incurred.
So far from the proprietors in British Guiana, at least,
being supine as to the immigration of agriculturists,
they are making the most strenuous efforts to induce free
blacks from the States of North America to come to
the colony ; and, from the very favourable report made
by delegates from the States that visited British Guiana,
to their fellow-race on their return to the States, great
expectations are 'entertained that in time a consider-
able influx of labour will arrive from thence ; in
fact already a ship had arrived with about 80, but pro-
bably of a more independent class than the general
mass will be, as these first must in all probability have
defrayed their own expenses of passage, &c. It may
be wondered why free labour cannot be obtained more
easily from the old and worn-out islands, or such as have
more labour than they require. The answer is, most
or nearly all of these have legislatures of their own,
which are naturally jealous of losing their labourers, and
pass all kinds of enactments throwing obstacles in the
way of their people emigrating. It may be said that
these enactments are not law until they have received
the approval of the Queen in Council ; but they are in
force out there, until disapproved of from home.
I have not by me the means of quoting from any such
enactments, such as, for instance, passed at Berbadoes
by the Legislature there, but any one that will give
hanself the trouble to search for these where such in-
formation can be obtained, will at once recognise the
difficulties of " emigration." But should these be sur-
mounted, there is again the same obstacle on arriving at
their destination that is experienced with other immi-
grants—namely, that no agreement previously signed
between the parties is binding on the labourers, and
the employers are exposed to lose the expenses they
have been put to in bringing them to the colony, un-
less the immigrants on so arriving will renew their
agreement or indenture, being otherwise perfectly at
liberty to go to whom or where they like. It. is ob-
jected to the West Indians, why did they oppose the
Government measure for permitting the experiment of
Hill Coolies to the Mauritius ? For the best of all rea-
sons, because the West Indies are not the Mauritius.
The West Indians cannot stand by and see the Mau-
ritius favoured at their expense. They expect either to
be, from the first, placed on the same footing as the
Mauritius, or if they are not to be admitted to the same
boon, they will unhesitatingly continue their resistance
'to its being granted to the Mauritius. Is there anything
unreasonable in this ?

Let it be remembered, that from the Mauritius the
scheme to carry out the immediate emancipation of the
apprentices received the greatest opposition, long after it
had been cheerfully carried into effect in the West Indies;
nor was it effected until strenuously urged upon them
from home. In addition to this, the Mauritius are far
less deserving of the first fostering attention of the
mother country, for, before the emancipation, it is well
known that a large proportion of the negroes wera
liable to the suspicion of not being even then lawfully
held.
have omitted to observe that the -proprietors of
British Guiana to evince their sincere anxiety
for the immediate - introduction of supplies of free
labour, have many of them agreed among
themselves ti;w. tax themseves two per cent. on
last year's. crop, to form an immediate fund to
defray the expenses of importing immigrants. and if
they are cordially assisted by the Government in their
efforts, and the proper regulations and provisions are
made to ensure the comfort, protection, and prosperity
of " the welcome agriculturists," plenty and abundance
will soon make their appearance, the possibility of slave
labour in the foreign colonies, competing with free la-
bour in our own, will be completely routed, and a more
than sufficient cheap supply of colonial produce be se-
cured to the mother country.
I have been induced to offer for your perusal these
few remarks upon a subject which is not to be viewed
with all the calmness and dispassionate examination it
deserves, owing to the heat of parties, and, perhaps,
contending interests.
_ _

I can hardly expect you will think them deserving of
insertion in your valuable and widely-extended Journal,
but I offer them with diffidence, to correct, if possible,
what I conceive to be a wrong impression you have
been led to form with regard to the %Vest Indians on
the subject of immigration.
I have myself visited the West Indies, and have seen
what a jewel in the Crown of Great Britain British
Guiana might be rendered by able and fostering Go.
vernment. I visited it nut as a planter, but in the ser-
vice of my country. Begging to subscribe myself
Your very obedient humble servant,
A SOLDIER,
Queen's Hotel, Cheltenham, July 7, 1540.