The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-10-07
knsiish Views OF the Prescss Brss-h Colo
,-,.lt . nial Peltey.

1 4 ID
| The powerful and instructive speech oil
Sir William Molesworth is by FAR the abest
and the completest exposure OF Colonial
mlsrule that has ever been laid before the
public. The Ioltenness OF the whole fab,
ric is laid bare, and not word can be said
with any show Of decency or grace even
in extenuation-unless, indeed, il be to ac-
Knowledge the evil manfully and to sci
about reformation.
We have, exclusive Of the possessions
under the management Of the East India
Company, forty Colonies--four in Europe,
i've in North America, FIVE in Africa, three
among the Asia,ic Islands. and FIVE in the
Pacific. The very number is Overwhelm-
ing. These Colonies are scattered to the
4lth degree Of South latitude, and Britain $
red mark reaches to the magnetic pole; in
Longitude they make the circle Of the globe.
Our whole Colonial population is 5, OO0..
1000; one-half of which only is Of Euro
pean race, or Of the race of the conaueror,
the remainder consisting Of 400, 900 Fee
bic and seni-barbarous Cingalese, and |, :
100000 OF more barbarous emancipated
Africans. The whole arc scattered une.
qually over about 5000, 900 OF square
miles. giving consequently about one in
habitant to each mile!
| The expense Of governing our 5000, 900
OF colOnists is, according to Sir William
Molesworth's judicious and careful esti-
mate, a charge Of f8, 200, 900 year; one
half falling on the nation, and one.half on
the colonists themselves. All the charges
OF The territories under the government of
the East India Company, with 10000, 900
of inhabitants. are covered by a revenue Of
about f22, 900. 900, including the interest
Of large public debt, Indian and Europe.
an. Were the Indian expenditure on the
same scale as that of "the Colonies" Ia
king population as the basis OF our est.
mate, it would amount exactly to G192, :
100000 which would be from eigh, to
nine years purchase Of the whole Indian
revenue. On the other hand, were the
Colonial expenditure on the same scale as
the Indian, it ought instead Of being g.
o00, 900, to be less than 81 ,0OO, 0OO.-
This is an useful illustration. and the more
so as the Hon. the East India Company is
not considered too parsimonious an admin
istrator.
But the cost Of the Colonies TO the ma
ton estimated by Sir Willism Molesworth
does not include the burthen Of monopo.
lies, which may. even after their mitigation,
be still taken at not less than $4,000, 900,
which added to the "a 100000 will make
e. 100000. II, then, it were possible TO
get rid Of the whole of this improbable
burthen. it would be measure equivalent
to paving OIL, at once, ''One-lourth part Of
the whole national debit The evil is, Ger.
tainly, too inveterate and long-continued
10 admit Of so great a reform; but reason.
able approach TO il is easy, and ought to be
the object Of an enlightened administra
ton. '.s rsF. al1. 7.. .i-.-s ..s.s s s- .5s.
AS In any solid national advantage de.
riyable from the majority Of our Colonies
he would be bold man that would at
tempt any rational proof Of it. To vapor
in general terms, of which there has beer
too much, serves only TO mystify, and i:
mischievous. A few OF them are valuable
for the protection Of our commerce amons
barbarous nations; and few may, although
/ this is more doubtful, be necessary TO III,
maintenance of our naval and militar,
J power. As to emigration, the relief whicl
we have received from it we owe chiefly q
the United States; which takes five emf
grants for one taken by our own Colonie:
the best Of which are less fit to receiv
emigration than the territory Of the Unior
and the majority Of them, from climate, a
. together unfit. ' s.
Commences was the original purpose q
! which the Colonies were founded, and y,
there is no one respect in which the failul
| has been sc eminent. In bolstered trad
: we exported to them in 1874 to the decla
: ed value Of $4,000, 900; and in order to ei
! able our merchants to gain probably son
E ten per cent. profit on this amount, that
e f900,000 the nation has to pay in charg
and monopoly burthens e. 900, 900, whiC
: is premium Of from f700 to fSOO p
cent. Gu the profits in question! Our Q
ports 10 the United States are, at least, ecu
to those to all our Colonies in the FIVE qua
E tiers of the globe, and they cost the matte
e nothing, unless a consulate Of ESQ
e year be worth naming. Compared. the
e to the Colonies which we preserve, the q
e onies which we have lost are pecunia
|. gain of f7,000,000 per annum.
n Our exports TO the West Indies amou
'e to $500, 900, but our expenditure on III,
lie account is f100,000. to which if We a
ID the protection 10 sugar, molasses, rum, a
ic coffee, il will be found that the expen
rs which we incur exceeds the whole value
n the trade, and cannot be less than ten TIN
e as great as the whole Of is profits. o
h, exports TO Brazil are larger than those 10
" West Indies, and they cost US nothing, 7
" profits of this trade are, therefore. Gle
er gain; whereas for every shilling the matt
p gains in the West India trade il loses ten
lg We must take other opportunities Of
ng curing to this subject-far too large o
e. important one for single discussion. '
of have probably however, said enough
h. show that great evil exists which must
he abated. Some irconsidera.e parties wo'
he ascribe the whole blame Of its existence
ed the Colonial Office; but this is simply chi
I'M ish. No amount of talent, diligence or
ng fetal dexterity can compensate for inn
lar defects which are irremediable; and
he consequence is, that the satisfactory adm
nd istration Of FIVE millions of men, seattle