, 1881-04-13
tions of the contract should be left to tie
narfins c0ncArnAd - xSaa@ IN

At this stage Governor Garde found the
question, and there he seems to have been
content to. leave it for Q time.m He fOnnd
that the objections to the change rested
mainly On the fear that it would make
the working of the estates more expensive,
and he relied on the factory scheme to
effect so favourable a revolution in the
prospects of the island as to enable the
planters to meet the supposed increased
expenses, which the change was. to bring.
In the mean time the slow progress of the
factory scheme brought the Home Gov
eminent to the help of the colony, as we
have already seen, but naturally with the
condition that the distasteful labour regu-
lations should be abolished. In this way
the question was brought to a point, and
the Colonial Council thus appealed to.
accept the proffered help of the Home
Government and bound itself to abalish
the labour regulations within two years of
the commencement of the Factory,s Opera-s
tions. The riots of October 1878 rendered
1t desirable that the change should be-
made before the expiration of the annual
contracts then or shortly afterwards enter.
ed into, and in August 1879 His Exce,len-
cy introduced the Masters and Servants
Ordinance framed SO as to apply in most
OF its clauses to all the islands. The broad
principle OF this Ordinance was to allow
the greatest freedom of contract on both
Subsistence everything is permissive, not
compulsory but ample provision is made
for enforcing contracts which nave been
willingly entered into. With this prin-
oiple no fault can be found, and it
was not opposed in the Council, where
the discussion turned ON details. Accomy
panying this ordinance was another
on Vagrancy, designed to prevent
abuse Of The full liberty granted by
the first ordinance. These two ordinances
were hurriedly passed through theCouncil.
under some complaint from the members
that they had been bought forward at 80
late a period. 1t may have been impossi-
bic for the Government to have introduced
these important measures at an earlier date:
but we cannot help regIetting that moro
time could not have been giyento so impor-
tant a matter. So far as we can learn. the
contracts, which were extensively made at
first under the new law, have only to q
very limited extent been renewed. or if
they have been renewed these renewals
have not been generally reported, in nc
cOrdance with the law, at the Police Office.
The consequence is that the Police Con.
troll is greatly weakened, we NAV perhaps
say nearly destroyed, and it is a question
worth considering whether the livrette
system cold not have been adopted
here with advantage. There is no infringe.
ment of liberty i'll such a system. which
only demands that every man shall be able
to shew that he, in som way of his own
choice, is supporting himself in an honor
able manner, and is not by likeness laying
himself open to the temptation of proving
on the industry of his fellows. Governor
Garde has stated in his speech to the st.
Thomas Council that the present system of
employing labour is cheaper by2O to 25 per
centthan under the old regulations. W. do NOT
know on what data His Excellency found
eel this statement, but that on the whole
the new system will be cheaper wa do
not doubt, nor have we any doubt
that 1t will prove a benefit to the
industrious 'labourer, who will now have
an opportunity of showing his worth,
and earning q corresponding reward.
That the idle labourer will sink, we are
equally sure, and will sink in spite of the
most perfect vagrancy laws, though these
may indeed prevent him from making him.
self a public burden.In passing from the old
condition of things to the new We had to
go through a rather anxious deadlock in
October 1879, when scarcely any work was
lone for three or four weeks. Little dam.
age was caused however by this enforced
rest of the plantations, the movement did
not recur last year, and has been practical
ly forgotten. That the planters are not
now afraid of the new system is best prov
ed by reference to the evident rising ten
dency i'll the value of landed property, as
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