, 1873-11-08

Ing as would do most good to all. His
reason for so doing was simply because he
believed that there was not a single class
of the population of the colony that was
not vitality concerned in the continuance
OF immigration. 1t may not be that
every class equally derived benefit from
the introduction of immigrants into the
colony, but it was clear that all derived
benefit. He believed that the estates
could not be maintained if immigration
ceased The mercantile community, if
the estates were abandoned, would find
a cessation of trade the public funds of
the colony would be distressed, and pub
lie officers would lose their salaries and
their occupations in life the mass of the
population OF the colony would also suffer,
inasmuch as, if the salaries were ruined,
the necessary consequences would be the
loss OF all those social, and political, and
civil institutions which, in point of fact,
constitute ciyi isation Lastly. he con-
ceived it was essential to the good of the
immigrants themselves. inasmuch as, if
the promises that were made to them
were fairly carried out, there could be
no question as TO the benefits conferred
upon them by their coming to this side
OF the g'obe." No clearer or more en-
phatic exposition of the case than the
above was ever made, and It was upon
the basis OF such an argument that the
Duke Of Newcastle decided that one-third
of the total cost OF immigration should be
borne by the revenue Of the colony. That
the general prosperity of the colony is
entirely founded upon immigration, a
glance at the statistical tables viii con-
cIusivc'y prove. The year 1850 may
very well be taken as the period when
immigration began 10 exercise a steady
beacIicial influence. The value of inn
ports in that year was 7S5,157L From
thence the statistics show a steady increase,
reaching in 1871 to 1897, 1S4l., or more
than double the amount of 1850. The
table Of exports, however, must, in a
country like Guiana, be taken as the true
test OF progress, aud accordingly we find
in tins item a still more remarkable III
crease, viz, from SI5,42ll. in 1850, to
2,74S, 1901. in 1871. The expenditure,
or in other words the taxation, of the
colony has no doubt considerably ~increas-
ed since 1850, but it has not kept pace
with the wonderful growth OF It's com
merce That commerce has enabled the
coIouiSts to maintain most liberia Iy the
Institutions which are essential to the
happiness of a civilized community, and in
the blessings of which all classes, with
out exception, participated
Now, Sir Philip Wodehouse is surely as
great an authority upon the question as
any who have filled a similar position
since his time, and his words nave lost
nothing of their force. The colony, how
ever, does not now pay directly one-third
ofthe expense, but defrays, the cost OF
fixed establishments, and only contributes
directly ten dollars to the immigration
fund for each immigrant received. When
the number reaches above a certain limit,
the planters pay directly at least nine
tenths of the cost, or 90 out of a total OF
100 dollars, the cost to the Government
for fixed establishments, of course, re-
naming the same, whether the immlgra-
ton is large or small. This arrangement,
supported by the Demerara Commission
of Inquiry, has Just come into force and
after all the trouble that has been taken to
satisfy the requirements, reasonable and
unreasonable, of the home Government,
it would be nothing less than a breach OF
faith to upset this arrangement and make
new and more onerons demands. Are the
colonies not dependent upon the sugar