The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-28
81 AVERY IN Gu s. A.
De G r. f Z s
SIGNED By
TIE QUEEN OF SPAIN,
ON THE ED OF MARCH, 1854,
RESPECTING
Slavery IN TIE ISLAND OF CUBA.

DESPATCH FROM LORD HowDEN, HER MAJEsTY'S
MINISTER AT MADRID, TRANSMITTING COPIES OF
THE DECREkS SIGNED BY THE QUEEN OF SPAIN
ON THE I'D MARCH, 1854, PROVIDING FOE THE
RESTRICTION OF SLAVE LABOR TO AGRICULTURAL
PURPOSES, THE PROTECTION OF FREE LABORERs,
AND THE REGISTRATION OF SLAVES, IN THE
ISLAND OF CUBA.
Lord Ho,cden to the Earl of Clarendon.
(Extract) MADRID, April Is, 1854.
have the honor to transmit to your lordship by
this messenger copy and translation of most i'm
p0rtant document relating to slavery in the Island
of Cuba, which was published in the Gazette Of this
morning.
The chief points are the following
A determination, publicly expressed, to put down
the slave trade, and TO keep faith with Great
Britain.
An endeavor to force the whole slave population
OF the island into works OF agriculture establishing
high taxes ON those retained for household pur-
poses.
The organization of system of colonization for
Spaniards, Yucatenese, and Chinese, defining their
obligations and rights.
And finally, the compulsory registering of all the
slaves in the island at this moment, 80 that any
negro excepting those subsequently born) who is
hereafter unregistered, and who does not carry on
him copy of the register, will be considered as
nnduly introduced and declared ips0 facto free.
Your lordship will see at once two thngs-the
great advantage OF such measure, If properly car.
Tied out, and the great difficulty to which it will
give rise at the moment of registering, with regard
to negroes who will be claimed d. legal property,
and who yet have been iraudulently introduced
Sllce the CONCLUSION Oh trealle5 Win SpalH
(TRANsLATIoN.)
Exposition to Her Majesty.
SENoRA--One of the most urgent necessities which
at present presses upon the Island OF Cuba is the
scarcity of laborers; agriculture is already affected
by Tit; its effects begin to be noticed in commercial
transactions and if be not OPPORTUNITY remeded,
the rich treasures which that fertile island contains
will soon be diminished, If not exhausted. The
government have carefully studied the of the
evil, and in order to remove them, they offer to
your Majesty system OF measures which they con-
slider eficacous, it, is to be expected, there be,
on the part of the local authorities zeal and per-
severance in carrying them into execution.
1t is not hidden from the high penetration of your
Majesty, that the origin Of the scarcity which is do.
plored lies partly in the existence and necessity OF
slavery, and partly in the treaties in force for the
suppression Of the slave trade. The Antilles seem
condemned by Providence not to give proofs OF their
fertility unless with the aid of that institution. and
results hence for the Island of Cuba social and
economical situation, which, although exceptional
and anomalous 1t is necessary to MAINTAIN, with all
its inconvenience, because there would arise from
the design of regulating it by the type OF European
nations greater detriments for the State and even
for the very race dsinherted OF civil liberty.
From the necessity Of maintaining slavery 10
those regions naturally inferred the advantage
OF permitting in certain cases, the introduction of
new slaves; but as the international treaties and
the Spanish laws prohibit and punish it with rgor,
this efficient means Of preservation has been want
ing to slavery, while the developement and encour-
agement of agriculture have rendered it every day
more necessary. Whatever may be, nevertheless,
the qualification which these treaties merit, the
government ought to fulfil them as the honor and
dignity of the nation eqnire, considering that
though they be in part the cause OF the injury which
is lamented at this moment, it j. not in the power
of the government to remove It, nor would it be
morally possible to abolish slavery.
Leaving out of view, therefore, as irrenedable,
these two primary and fundamental causes Of the
actual scarcity, the government have maturely ex-
amned the immediate causes, and believe they have
l. In the practice of dedicating to domestic ser.
vice and other occupations, in which the labor Of
which are wanting to agriculture and the employ
ments in which the labor of natives and Europeans
cannot compete with that Of the Africans.
2. In the proprietop not having taken care. so
much as they ought to have done, of the reproduc-
tion of the slave race with the hope that the clan
destine production of Boza negroes would supply
their neglect.
8. In the scarcity of white laborers and artizans
capable of defeating themselves to multitude of
mechanical Offices, for which the negroes are unne.
cessary.
l. In the right of property over the legitimate
slaves not possessing the indispensable guarantees
and securities in consequence OF the questions which
the understanding and application OF the treaties in
force for the suppression of the slave trade are daily
raising with powerful nation
The slaves who nov exist in the Island of Cuba
would suffice for all the wants Of agriculture, not.
withstanding the losses which they have
by recent diseases, considerable number of them
free laborers could perform as well or better. This
circumstance makes evident the advantage Of re-
moving the slave population from the cities and
towns and defeating 1t in the country to the occu-
pations Of agriculture. In order to effect this your
Majesty decreed in 1874, the imposition of capita
ton tax upon the slaves destined for domestic
service; but this measure has not produced the
desired effect, fret, because all the slaves who
dedicate themselves to occupations in which free
men might be employed, being excluded from the
tax, its influence is limited to very reduced num-
has, IF oyaAv> In fN IN
nature of their occupations it must be most diff cult
to attract towards agriculture; and secondly, be-
cause the capitation not exceeding dollar, or q
little more, for each person, it has not been su-
Gent stimulus for the Cubsns to abandon the in
veterate custom Of having themselves served by
slaves.
In order to attain the desired end, therefore, it
will be necessary to extend the an TO all the slaves
who are not habtually employed in agriculture;
that is, to those who have not their permanent resi-
dence In the estates rural establishments, and to
increase the said tax gradually in proportion to the
wealth OF each proprietor, adopting as the measure
thereon, the number OF slaves whom he has in his
service, and fixing, nevertheless prudent limit to
the proportional increase IN order not to confound
the caprices Of luxury with the true wants of in.
dustry.
Your Majesty may still offer another more efGca.
oious stimulant to the propietors Of slaves There
is now paid on the sale Of them duty OF alcabaa,
which consists of six per cent of the stipulated
price, Exempt from this duty the slaves who are
sold or transferred for service in the agricultural
Estates or establishments, and exact double from
those who, having their residences in the said estab
lishments, may be transferred for service in the
towns, and no industry will obtain with more abund-
ance and advantage than agriculture the labor
necessary for its preservation and encouragement.
If these measures shall not suffice to attract the
slave population towards the fields, it would be
difficult to adopt other indirect means which
should promise better results. But even
though agriculture and industry should
60 on increasing and developing them
selves in the Island Of Cuba in the came proportion
az hitherto, the government believe, nevertheless
that the slaves now existing would suffice for all the
services in which they cannot be readily replaced
by free laborers, if their reproduction shall be cared
for and favored
The measures which your Majesty may adopt with
such an object are also indirect, and of no imme-
diate result, but will doubtless succeed They con-
est in encouraging the proprietors to promote
riagcs among their slaves, and so to benefit them