The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-23

island, comprising area OF only 1850 acres,
oIo square miles. Sugar IL It's sole production and
that with rum and moasses form Its staple articles
OF export It's population Just before the emanci-
patton Of the slaves was so,o1o divided into free
males, l24S9; females A07l; aud slave males 3s l26;
femaes 24,o32 1t Will thus be seen that more than
two-thlrds OF the people were held IN bondage. or
the free population only about eight or nine thou
sand were white. the rest being colored.
Next in order comes British Guiana situated on
| the northeast OF the Continent Of South America.
and under this name, in 1881, formed from what
was previously the three colonies OF Demdrara,
about 7oooc sauare niles but only sne lands on the
seaboard and along the rivers are at present under
cultivation ard there the sugar cane Is the principal
product. The population, according 10 census
taken few years before emancipation: was $40,
OF which number 1877 were white, SOIL free colored
and ss,dss slaves, the latter forming nearly nine
The last OF the three colonies under consideration
the Continent OF South America: from which 1t Is
separated by tho Gulf OF Paria. 10 has an area OF
ana cocoa It Contained three years before Inc
abolition Of slavery population Of Al e!5. OF whom
2so2 were slaves. 1889 free coored 3 $40 white
| the population being In slavery.
| rhe respective areas OF these colonies win be
! readily understood by Americans when we state
that Nautilus but little more than half the size of
| Rhode Island. Trinidad about fourhfths the size Of
| nesota.
! .raE COMMENCEMENT OF cooLIR IMMIGRATION.
cdea Dy The s s 81 s ranr was de e
Maurltus foresaw that when 1t was fully carried
into effect til r fields would be deserted by those
VINO fad been accustomed to cultivate them, and
| that unless they could supply themselves with new
laborers they would be utterly ruined Learning at
G lOes from the densey populated mountain regions
VI upper India To the sfaports and other large towns
they resolved TO induce these people to extend Their
wanderngs IN search OF employment to their island.
IN consequences OF the exertons then made the first
five years from that date no fewer than 20 OO0 about
| one IN flty OF whom were women, were landed and
| The immigration from India to the Mauritus which
thus commenced has now been carried on for thirty
hve years, but It has been subject to constant
changes, having been alternately permitted, pro-
hibtted regulated and restricted
From 1884 to 1850 the supply OF coolies to the Maur
titus was left entirely to private enterprise ami for
time was carried on In so reprenensibe q manner
that II led to ITS prohibition In the latter year. The
planters gave instructions 10 commerce al houses In
Calcutta TO forward them the number OF coolies they
required, and these houses engaged class of natives
crmps, TO procure the same. The latter by decep-
ton ana art flee induced the coolies to enter into
contracts with themselves, and these contracts they
were enabled TO sell for good sum to the planters,
me later paying as much as from forty to 100
spanish pastres tx44 TO s109) for them but the high
price which sugar then realized made 1t not unDrodt-
able TO them. BY these contracts the coolies were
bound to serve for five years. generally at the rate OF
nve rupees l$2 SOY per month with ratiOns, the first
six months wages paid in advance, but this advance.
under sone preiext or other almost invariably found
lis way Into the pockets OF the runners AT the end
of the term OF service the coolle was entitled 10
free passage back TO India at the expense of the
the runners that they were led to kidnapping and
committing other cu.pabe practices for the purpose
OF procuring the number required and it resulted In
the indian goyernment prohibiting the emigration
at the date mentioned.
In consequence OF the stoppage OF supplies an
"Ihe Muuriiius Free LABOR AS ociaon,n The object
OF which was to obtain repeal OF the prohibition
and the regu atl0n OF future emigrati0n and they
sue eejed in obtaining from the British government,
on January To- 1912, permission to reopen cOolie emil
made the Introduction and return OF coolies in the
future to be at the expense OF the colony. In addt-
ton. no engagement with an employer was to he
made until alter the coOie had been landed forty
eight hours when he should be allowed To select his
own master, no engagement to be open for longer
period than year at time and the coolie To DO
permitted to urn home before the termination OF
hrs five years service In the colony but In such
at his own expense On December 3D. 1912, this au-
thor Tor reopening collie emigration was pro-
claimed I'm India.
Tie reopening of emigration could not have com.
menced at a more opportune time for OBJ aiming
good supply OF abOrers for In 1870 and the two fol.
lowing years there there were frequent returns to
meDts In the Maurltius and whose economy had en-.
abled them to accumulate from 500 to $3.50 each,
anu TINS becoming known It acted as . powerful
HOW COOLIES ARE SUPPLIED TO THE MAuRrTIUs.
Though cOOlie emigration was now placed strictly
under government surveillance, agents and pro-
tectors being appointed In 1nda and the Mauritius
Instead OF importing coolies into the island itself
the government Of the Mauritius gave bounty or
premium OF seven pounds Sterling tnirty.aye dol;
half that amount Tor child, calculating that these
sums would sufficiently remuncrate those who un.
dertoOk the expense Of importation. This plan had
the effect OF throwing the Trade into the hands OF
SPECTATORS and secondary agents, who continued
the Objectionable practices which the government
had intended to supersede. In consequence OF this
the government OF the Mauritius eventually abol.
lshed the bounty system and undertook the entire
n
purpose it established lts own agency in India and
commenced operations under this arrangement on
April /, 1874. The government now betrayed all the
expenses OF mpOr alton, which, including clothing
and utensils for the voyage, passage rations and
about thirty dollars five dollars less Than the
bounty fee previously paid. The reforms which have
been made since cO0lic emigration thus assumed
W the government consist In the term OF
first engagement being extended to three years
In $500 and In 1904 III tue passage OF an ordinance
requiring coolies, the termination of such first
engagement Of three years. either to enter into fresh
Contracts or to commute the remaining two years Of
their industrial residence at the rate of SO so per
annum. From 1851 to 1851 the local government
undertook 10 Introduce certain number OF coolies
annuity, ana 10 allot them to applicants in certain
proportions under annual, and. after 1854 under
riennial engagements. The allotment was made on
the basis OF the sugar manufactured by the planter,
or, II otherwise eng get in trade, on that OF the
number of laborers employed. But. by a law passed
IN 1854, provision was made by which planters who
wished to obtain more than their quota might &C.
quire the same upon payment to the government or
fifteen dollars In addition to the fee Of ten dollars
per DO pull upon lillO con-
tracts with all newcomers-the 1u amount beng
frequently the entire cost OF Introduction. This
charge however, was changed on July H. 1857, to
the actual average cost OF Importation, with the pro.
portonate cost OF importing the females required to
accompany the males; and the expense of such i'm
portation appears to have generally increased from
about twenty dollars to which amount 1t had fallen
Ia ls51 to thirty dollars in 1854, and from thirty
eight dollars to ifty.two dollars according to tile
port OF embarkatiOn, In 1861.
But still the former system Of private Introduction
was allowed TO remain in force. and the working OF
the two systems simultaneously led 10 evil cOnse-
quences from tie keenness with which the planters
competed for the services Of immigrants. This
petition. indeed, excited much dsc0rd and led to
such Ill graceful scenes at the immigration depot.
from the sell constituted agency Of Sirdars who
were little better than crimps that coolies were,
on October rs 1855 allowed 70 be engaged in India
an understanding that on the termination OF such
contracts they were TO re.engage with the
pl0yer or to enter into fresh contract with another
employer for two years, unless they preferred re-
deeming the remaining portion OF their five years'
industrial residence by the payment of eight dollars
per annum to the colonial Treasury.
THE C0OLIE SYSTEM AS FINALLY SETTLED IN THE