, 1881-03-30

voluntarily led to give up resistance. The
matter was treated here in this Council,
and the Labour Act was as far as he
remembered by unanimous votes abolished
from 1st of October 1879 by the passing of
an Ordinance to that effect. This he con-
sidered the great monument OF the Govern
ment of which Governor Garde was the
representative. He. the acting President,
had spoken with many planters here, and :
they almost unanimously express as their
opinion, that the labourers work as well,
many say better, since the abolition of the
Act, and they the planters had,no cause
but to be satisfied with the change. 1t is
true that he had been told by almost every
One:what we want now is an excitement to
the labourers by immigration on . limited
scale, some say Of 500 others of 900 hands.
On this he would not express any opinion
now; he would only say that if an immi.
grafton scheme is to be carried out it could
only be possible through the abolition of
the Labour Act. Formerly we did get
some immigrants from foreign Islands,
when labor was abundant. but this strand
ed soon on the objections of other Govern.
ments on the plea that they could not al
low their people to emigrate to q country
where a disguised unfreedom was in
existence. This would not be so any
longer. He knew Of several parties who
had expressed a wish to import immi-
grants at their own expense, he could
almost assure them that when they have
the means, and sensible agents, no diff
culties would now be laid in their way by
the Governments of those places from
which they might desire to bring immi-
grants. This was one great advantage
connected with the change. He would
mention another. Denmark has always
been proud of standing in the first line
of liberal States; the Labor Act of 1S49
has consequently always been a black spot
in the eyes Of all parties at home, of con-
servatives as well as radicals. If any
help is to be given us from the Mother
country it is q condition that the people
Of the Mothercountry respect US, and
under this consideration therefore we may
be particularly thankful that the change
has taken place. But it may be said, and
it has been said, what's the use of enter
tanning hopes for the future of the Island
through the means of the Central Factory
and the abolition of the Labour Act, as
long as the soil of the Island is impoyer-
ished, and the cultivation of sugar can't
pay the expenses of the administration,
even Of manufacturing the produce.
But [ think we have no cause to despair
in this point either. He would put before
the Council to-day some cyphers and
cyphers if honestly gathered, speak the
truth, better than words do at times,
which would shew that the agriculture
of the Island since 1S48 instead OF being
on a retrogressive march, has rather made
a progressive march.-Dividing the time
which has since elapsed into three decades,
from lS50-59, $4,000, 1s7o-79; the figures
shew, that in the decade from ~1S50-59,
there was on the average 10000 acres III
cane, with an average of $500 labourers,
an average rainfall of 800 lines, and an
acreage crop of 1899 hhds; in the decade
1s6O.69 there was 1900 acres, 1864
~labourers, 1854 lines of rain, but o larger
average crop, 9,7Os hhds.; coming to the
last decade 1870-79 we find that on IL 900
acres, with a labour force of 5000, with
almost successive years of failing crops,
the average yearly produce was;SOeO hhds.
here there was a'considerable falling OFF; but
we must remember that i'll this decade
we had q hurricane in 1876, the destruc-
ton of which was calculated to about
2,c0o hogsheads; then the awful calamity
of 1878 when there has been estimator to
have been burnt on the fields at the works
and in the town produce to about 1000
hhds; may be this is too low, but he did
not wish to exaggerate; then there was
an enormous loss by the works having
been burnt and not rebuilt-and then ever
very imperfectly, before at the end of
April and of the commencement of May
70, whereby about ] part of 1875 crop
rottod away. thA canes Of the crOn of