IMMIGRATION. 349 



grant remains in the colony, he enjoys all the privileges of a 

 British subject, and is, at all times, fully protected by the law. 

 Of course under that system immigrants can be brought only 

 from over-populated countries, such as India and China ; the 

 people are there more or less exposed to periodical famine and its 

 consequent evils — starvation and epidemic diseases. 



Intending immigrants from India to these colonies, as a rule, 

 are sunk in the deepest misery, with not the slightest chance of 

 bettering their condition. Again, the immigrant is transferred 

 from a land where heathenism and despotism have full sway 

 to a land of Christianity and civilisation — not a small advantage, 

 at least in the eyes of reflecting men. Can it be said that such 

 immigration would act as a drain on the country from which it 

 flows ? It should be rather considered in the light of a relief. 

 For instance, what can be to India, teeming with millions of 

 inhabitants, the abstraction, let us say, of 20,000 souls every 

 year ? Again, let it not be forgotten that paid immigration has 

 been set on foot, and is continued to the present day, mainly 

 with the object of averting complete ruin. " There can be no 

 doubt/'' said Lord Harris, " that the prosperity, nay, the exis- 

 tence, of these colonies, depends on a cheap and steady supply of 

 labour ; the favourable solution of free against slave labour must 

 depend on it ; every means ought to be tried, more especially on 

 the part of the mother country, to obtain it on as cheap terms as 

 possible." There is this fact — the only sugar colonies of Great 

 Britain that are still extant, as such, are Barbadoes, Mauritius, 

 Demerara, and Trinidad — Barbadoes, on account of its large 

 native labouring population ; Mauritius, Demerara, and Trinidad, 

 thanks to Indian immigration. 



To keep up the production of our staple articles, to increase 

 them, we must keep up a regular influx of labourers ; we should 

 even increase their number. If, therefore, the British Govern- 

 ment considers it worth while to retain its colonies in this part of 

 the world, as useful dependencies, it should not hesitate to fostf r 

 immigration to these islands. 



The Coolies are, 1 have said, entitled to a free return passage 

 after ten years' residence in- the colony, an arrangement which 

 fully proves the interest the Indian Government takes in their 

 subjects; but an arrangement much to be regretted, inasmuch 

 as we are pledged to send back to their country the very 



