, 1874-05-13

eminent on the export of refined sugar from
France. That such bounty obligpS the Eng
fish reiners to reduce the price of raw cane
sugar, in order to enable them to compete
with the French refner. That the non-fulfl-
ment by Foreign Powers of the late Conven-
ton entered into between England, France,
Belgium, and Holland els in no small degree
answerable for the present unsatisfactory posi-
ton Of the article of sugar" That "the in
tensity of the depression in the article of sugar
in Great Britain is increased by every increase
in the French duties en- sugar, as the bounty
to the French refner is augmented by every
fresh rise in the French duties" That your
Memoriaists would also respectfully suggest
that the excise duty of nine ShillingS and six
pence per cWt, charged in addition to the usual
import duty on sugar used in the brewerieS Of
Gleat Britain and Ireland is a g|rieyous disa-
biiity, which they trust your Honorable House
will at an early date, partially, if not wholly,
remove That your Memorialists humbly
pray your HONORABLE House will take their
case into consideration, and give them such
relief as to your Honorable House shall
seem meet.
1t is expected that the Duke Of Manchester
will present the petition to the Lords, and
MIR. Grieye will take charge of the one to the
other House. The petition coming from an
important colony, it is not unlikely that a
motion will be made that it be read by tue
clerk at the table of the House.
Attention has been often called in this
column to the valuable reports Of the Agent
General of immigration in Trinidad. The
report for the year 1878 has just come home,
and it is not the least interesting and instruc-
tive Of the series. 1t was compiled by the
Acting Agent-G General, Mr.. Robert Mitchell,
who was temporarily filing the position of his
father, DIR. Mitchell, to whose care and eXer-
tionS the working Of The labour system in Irini-
dad owes so much Of its success. The colony
received in the course of the year 4,065 coolies
from India. The number Of Indian immigrants
resident on estates was 20,S92, and Of this num-
Der 9,709 were working without any contracts.
The death rate among these people was small,
very few deaths taking place among the chill
dreu. Mr.. Mitchell quotes a remark that "a
dead coolie child was about as rare a sight as
the traditional donkey or postboy." With
out stopping to inquire whether donkeys
aud postboys traditional or otherwise
are proper subjects for reference in au
Off ;ial report, the fact of this small mortality
is very encouraging, The mortality of adult
coolies is less thaa half Of the rate prevailing
among adult creoles, which is certainly rather
striking. "The accommodation provided for
immigrants DUNG illness is ample and convent
emit and " the house accommodation is of a
kind superior to anything they have been ao-
customed to in India" Tho power given to
coolies to commute the last year or two Of their
indenturcs is not always a good thing for the
immigrants, who in many instances are induced
to borrow money, at most exorbitant rates of
interest, from some "capitalist,' generally an
old coolio living in the neig bourhood of the
estates. For the sake of he people themselves
it is desirable that they should be protected
from the rapacity of certain Of their own coun-
trymeu. Mr.. Mitchell does good service in
calling attention to this blot upon the labour
Law, aud by his suggestion that the privilege
of committing part of their time should be re-
stricted to those coolies who are enabled to do
so by their own earnings. The number of
immigrants who had, up to the end of 1878,
applied for and received alIotments Of Crown
lands in Communication of back passage, was 514,
besides 1853 applications which remained to
be dealt with. Mr.. Mitchell draws an effective
contrast between the condition of the English
agricultural labourer and that Of the coolie in
Trinidad, although he is q little too fond of
quoting Professor Fawcett, whom he styles
''the great political economist" The con-
trast between the rate of wages received by
the coolie in India and that which is paid to
the "Indo-British peasants'' in Trinidad, is