340 TRINIDAD. 



staple articles should become restricted, or should even cease 

 altogether. 



This question of immigration is of such paramount impor- 

 tance, that I will be pardoned, I hope, for taking a short retro- 

 spective review of its history in Trinidad. Immediately after 

 emancipation, so pressing had become the demand for agricul- 

 tural labourers, in consequence of our scanty population and the 

 preposterously high wages demanded for field labour — so 

 palpable, so imminent had become the danger of ruin — that it 

 was at once and almost instinctively resolved to call in immi- 

 grants by every mode of inducement. Labourers from the 

 neighbouring colonies, attracted hither by the prospect of higher 

 wages, began to immigrate to the island at their own cost. It 

 was soon discovered that a regular current of immigration would 

 set in if sufficient encouragement were afforded. The planters 

 at once manifested their readiness to advance the passage-money, 

 provided the immigrants would engage their services as a com- 

 pensation. 



On the other hand, a bounty was offered to those captains of 

 small trading vessels who would introduce them, on condition 

 they would use their influence to secure the services of the 

 immigrants to the party paying the bounty. Several planters, 

 themselves owners of vessels, despatched them to Grenada, St. 

 Christopher, or Nevis, to bring over labourers for the crop 

 season, and on many occasions undertook to send them back to 

 their native island after their term of service. Moreover, money 

 was invariably advanced to the immigrants, on the pretext that 

 they required articles of food or clothing. But as there was no 

 legal provision specifying the conditions of contract, or binding 

 the immigrants and employer to their observance, many of the 

 immigrants actually left, or were enticed to leave, the estates to 

 which they were attached, the planters who had paid for their 

 passage and made advances thus losing a part, or even the whole, 

 of the money advanced. The planters had thus amply proved 

 their readiness and determination to help themselves; but so 

 defective was the system adopted, that they were compelled to 

 desist. The Legislative Council was, under the circumstance, 

 induced to make the introduction of labourers a public enter- 

 prise; and a "regular trade in immigrants " was established 

 between Trinidad and the neighbouring islands, but especially 



