The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIES.

Mr. BUXTON moved fora select committee to inquire
into the condition of the West Indies, and the best means
of promoting immigration into them. He denied that the
distressed state of the islands could be attributed to the
emancipation of the negroes. All the misfortunes of the
planters could be traced to other sources. The supply of
labour was, however, the question of chief importance, and
on this point he urged the advisability of inquiry, with the
view of discovering the quarter from whence and the means
by which this supply could be best provided. The hon.
member criticised the system of immigration as at present
established, objecting to many of the arrangements now in
force, and contending that the whole expense incurred in
importing labourers should be defrayed by the planters.
Sir E. B. LYTTON—Sir, let me, in the first instance.
express my sense of the ability and the temperance with
which the hon. gentleman has introduced his motion. The
bearer of his father's name enters into the discussion of all
questions that affect humanity with an hereditary title- deed
to respect. It is clear that he will preserve that heirloom
without a flaw. If I question his views I can equally hon-
our his sincerity. lam glad this subject is openly dis-
cussed. I take it first on its broadest ground. Sir, I
should be dealing unfairly towards those friends of the
Anti-Slavery Society whose petitions have been before
me if I did not assume that on principle they are op-
posed to the whole system of labour immigration which
I found established in the West India colonies. On my
part, I so sympathise with zeal on behalf of the negro, even
where I think those who entertain it misguided and mis-
informed on details, that I entreat beforehand forgiveness
if inadvertently a single word should escape me that may
seem to disparage the humanity that I hold in reverence:
But I must say, frankly and firmly, that from that system
of immigration I am convinced that no Minister responsible
for the welfare of the West India colonies can depart. Let
the house listen to facts and figures, and then say if I am
wrong in the convictions I express. The hon. gentleman
says that the prosperity of the colonies does not arise from
immigration alone. No ; but where immigration has been
continued prosperity has followed. Sir, the experiment of
Coolie immigration was first tried in the Mauritius in 1835
or 1836 ; it was then commenced by the planters as private
importers of labour. Abuses arose , the immigration was
suspended in 1838. In 1843 the Government took it into
their hands, and by the Government it has since been con- I
ducted. Now hear the result. Since the experi-
ment there have been introduced into the colony
170,000 persons; out of these, in 1856, as many
as 134,291 were still residents. The effect on
the produce of the colony has been this :—The sugar crop
i n 1844 was 70,000,0001 b. ;in 1855 it amountedio 238,480,0001 b.
That has been the effect on the produce. What has been
the effect on the immigrant population ? Three-fourths of
those emigrants who returned to India at the end of three
or five years brought back with them from 500 to 1,200
rupees each, and Sir G. Anderson, who had formerly been
a distinguished judge in India, in 1850 reported his opinion
in these words—" These immigrants, as a labouring popula-
tion, are perhaps nowhere in the world in such favourable
circumstances. But I may be told that the Mauritius is a
special and singular example. Is it so? Take next British
Guiana ; there about 23,000 Coolies have been introduced ;
they do not, as in the Mauritius, form the whole of the agri-
cultural population, but a considerable part of it, and the
sugar crop, which in 1841 was little more than 34,000 hhds.,
was in 1855 55,366 hhds. While this was the increase to the
wealth of the colony, what was the benefit to the immigrants?
Judger by this instance : In a single ship which left British
Guiana last year 277 Coolies paid into the hands of the
authorities for transmission to Indiamore than £6,000. I will
now show you what has been the increased prosperity of
the colony of Trinidad by the results of immwr ation. I
find in the despatch from the Governor dated' Sept. 26,
1858, that the population returned by the census of 1851
was 68,600 ; by immigration and the influx of strangers it is
now raised to about 80,000. Well, the imports of Trinidad
in 1855 were £554,534, in 1857 £800,830; the exports,
in 1855 were £387,999, in 1857 they were £1,013,414;
and the Governor in summing up the census of this pro-
gressive and amazing prosperity, says, " But it is to the
stream of immigration which has flowed into the island
during the years under review that it is mainly indebted
for the progress it has achieved." Now compare this
increase of produce in colonies caused by immigration
with the decline of produce in Jamaica, where immigration
has been suspended. In Jamaica the produce of sugar for
three years after the apprenticeship was 1,812,204 cwt., and
during the last three years it has fallen off to 1,244,373 cwt.
Turn next to Trinidad. There about 10,000 Coolies have
been introduced. There the wages are far inferior to those
in British Guiana; there is an immense competition for
labour, and yet in the last return Coolie ship from Trinidad
343 Coolies deposited with the inspector £5,389, and on
their persons took more than £9OO. Now, then, I respect-
fully ask you who advocate the cause of humanity, who
feel with me that humanity belongs exclusively to no
ceCnheigmnese
~?lonr and to no country, who, if you advocate the cause of
the
musta
ko d vyooc an t equally,ewhether,
whent he cause uws
we find
of the
th Indianthat more
or
than 200,000 persons left countries in which labour was
worth from 2d. to 3d. a-day, where impressment and forced
laofbiiurengea)dst
Bengal, "the
where, as
on asgwunisttid by the.versallyp Lieutenant-th Governor,
—left, I say, those countries for British colonies, in which
easy label r geoure4 ccoparative ammo, wkore. 14"