The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-07-29
From The London Times, july I.
THE AFRICAN LABOR QUESTION.


colonies was forcibly illustrated in The dis
cussion which occurred in the House of Com.
mons on Friday evening respecting the in
PRODUCTION of labor into British Guiana. AT
The very moment that the high price Of su-
gar is making itself felt most keenly, and
failure is apprehended in the supply Of tha,
material which furnishes the very life blood
| OF British trade, Mr.. Thomas Barring re-
minds The Legislature that our Colony Of
Guiana contains 50,OOO,OOo acres of the
most fertile land in The world, that il has ev-
cry advantage Of internal communication,
with an extensive seaboard for the resort of
shipping; is within a month or six weeks
sail of our shores, and could produce cotton
and sugar in all The abundance that consul
mers or manufacturers could desire.
One element only is wanting to the reali.
zalion of these natural bounties, and that is
the labor of man. The soil, the climate, the
capacities of all kinds are favorable in the
extreme; the territory is our own, and it lies
within easy reach; but there are no laborers
forthcoming TO turn these advantages 10 ac-
count Even those peculiar elements which
are said to be wanting TO the agriculture of
India--enersy and capi,al-are not lacking
in Guiana, for British planters are establish
ed in the Colony, ard are prepared with all
other requisites, If they could obtain the
hands to do the work st good wages. Nolh.
ing beyond this is needed TO bring plenty in
10 our markets, and relieve the anxiees
which. as our readers saw, have been again
expressed on behalf Of our staple manulac-
ture.
In this world it is usually found that en-
barrassmenls of this description admit of re.
moval by proceedings frausht with double
benefit. The abundance of one district is
made 10 ease The necessities of another, and
both gain alike by the establishment of an
equilibrium. Our colonies want labor; other
countries are overslocked with ii. In China,
for instance, the population has SO far out
grown the territory that the Chinese go of
in swarms, like bees, to any quarter OF the
world " hch will receive them. In India,
again, though the redundance is moi quite so
striking, the country teens with life, and la
Dor is SO cheap that it barely admits of be-
ing bartered for subsistence. From India,
therefore, and from China, labor has found
It's way 10 the colonies in question, but Sc
great is the distance and so serious the i'm
pediments interposed that, except in the
case of the Maurlius, the supply has been
very insufficient. That island, however, fur
nishes an excellent Illustration OF the state
of things which might be brought about
Within the last ter years, as Mr.. Labouchere
informed The House, it has received from
India no fewer than 100, 900 Coolies. This
reinforcement of workmen has enabled the
planters 10 cultivate sugar mol only at profit
but rat greater profit than by slave labor, y
while the high prosperity of the colony thus
induced, $50 far from being purchased al
the expense of nEumanily towards these
+! laborers, enabled them 10 accumulate prop
erty aud settle on the island, OF, If they re-
turned to their native country, they carried
the fruits of their industry with them AL
this while, il must be remembered, that the
slave trade itself undergoes heavy dlscour
agement from such successful competition
and that our own markets experience The
benefit of most seasonabe importalions; sc
that all parties together colonial proprl'
etor, the British consumer, and the aclua
la5orcr--derive advantage from the system
which iDju.es nobody except The slavehold
er. We do not see how stronger case
could possibly be made out. By the simple
agency of labor one Of our colonies Is able
10 amass wealth, to stock our markets with
its exports, to benefit the population Of an
other land, and TO act like thorn in the side
of the STAKEHOLDER For the want of this
same agency, others of our colonies are run
ming 10 ruin, are exporting but little produce
are doing no good 10 anybody, and are per
hitting the slave merchants TO thrive in ihe
absence of the competition they might es
tablish. If these facts do not make case fo
supplying not only Guiana but our othel
settlements too with free labor in proper
abundance, we are at loss to see how any
proposition can be proved al all.
What is the obstacle il The way? The
distance. II the West Indies, said Mr. La
bouchere, had not enjoyed the same advan
tages as the Mauritus, it was sowing to
their geographical position in relation to the
source of the supply of labor not being so
favorable" But is there only one such
source? Is not Africa as populous in many
parts as lndia7 Is il not as conveniently
situated in regard 10 the West Indies, as
India is with regard TO the Maurtius? Aud
above all, are not The Africans pre-eminently
fitted by nature for tropical labor? Every
one of these questions must be answered in
the affirmative. Ii is easier 10 bring negroes
from Africa than Coolies from India or Chi
namen from Hong Kong, and when brought
they would make the best of laborers. We
are driven, therefore, 10 seek elsewhere for
reasons against the proceeding, and such
arguments were produced by Mr.. Labou.
chere in the debate, and will be found en-.
bodied in letter from Mr. M. Forster,
which we publish to day. According 10