, 1881-09-17

W. II NV AoIAb
were almost starving 10 consequences of
the prevalent drought; no obstacles were
then put In the way of emigration. But
now matters may be different ; all the
lelands have had rainy seasons, and there
Will most likely be obstacles of many
kinds to be overcome. It planters could
give some advice, aud still more, it they
could themselves take the initiative of
such sort OF immigration, it might best
succeed. He had recently noticed that IT
is the duty of the Administration to pro-
vide the CouGcil with a statement of the
lmmigratiOHtund he would beg to state
that up to the present moment the Fund
had paid all instruments and interest due
on the loar, every year $500, the halt IN
June and the other half in December, the
amount due III December this year had
been RENTED. The Immigra;iontund hos
d cash balance on hand at present of
about 50, 900, but no part Of the immigra-
~tion-Gax tor 1850 has rs yet been added !;
the greater part Of this amour must
however be calculated on for defraylng
InStalments and interest next year. The
balance on hand has accumulated by
the saving of the salary of the superlnten,
dent of Immigration, as this situation has
not since The death If the last tunctlonary
been filled for several yeas.
3rd Member for Frcderlksted's Country
District (Wi5son) would beg to say that in
his opinion the matter OF immigration Is
one that deserves aud requires to be sitted
to the bottom aud TO be examined IN Its
true light. And if we look at the gangs OF
latourers when on the fields, we will hnd
that even now on many estates the number
of for,igu Iabourers, those imported from
foreign Islands, is aoont / part OF the total
number, tho remainder bang native
|iabouters; now, he would ask, suppose
those foreign Iabourers bad not been
available Tor work IN all these years,
what would have been the cons quenreS?
They me a very good addition to the
labour force. Just now the want of Sutti-
cient labour is great, and it is felt more
than most parties are aware OF, except
those who are immediately concerned
therein. He was glad TO see that all
agree in SeeinI the necessity OF an addl-
ti0nal lah0ur force Of some kind or other;
and would take leave to mention that some
time ago he was III conversation with a
gentleman from Antigua, who represents,
if he mistakes not, about 10 Estates; the
gentleman was on his way to Europe, and
lie had mentioned that as many labOurers
as are required could be obtained from
Barbados at a cost of STA pr. head, and
on he (WilSon) enquiring if he thought
that this colony could get some labourers
from Barbados he said he believed we
could, but that we should have an authO-
rized Agent there.
4th Member for FrederikSted's Country
District (Latimer) said that he, and he
was sure the Council too, was thankful
for the clear and lucid statements afforded
by His Honour the President Oh the state
of the Immigrationfund, statements for
which requests had hitherto been so fire.
quently made in the Council, but had
never heretofore been furnished. From
those statements we see that the lmmlgra'
tionfund has wiped off its debts, and 1t IS
generally so that every debtor who pays
off his debt, is IN a position to borrow
again; this is particularly the case here in
St. Croix in ordinary business. And he
could not see why we should not be able
to get Chiuamen; they are being driven
away from lands where they have been
for years, for instance the United States.
He hoped that we would lot have to wait
for them until the Panama Canal has
been opened. AS for the post Of Immi-
grant Agent here, he trusted that we
would never see it re established here
every person who remembers any thing of
the Immigration Agent and British Consul
will have no very fond recollectlons of