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retained in the Statute Book. Such, at least, is the con- 

 clusion I draw from the tenor of the late debate in the 

 Council of the Governor-General, in which the principle 

 of freedom in labour as in other things, was fully recog- 

 nized. 



" Now I contend that whatever may be the stringency 

 of the laws framed by the Indian Government on the 

 subject of emigration, they will be insufficient to prevent 

 the coolie from being lured away, I do not say, against his 

 will, but with a very misty and imperfect idea of what is 

 before him. It must not be forgotten that he does not 

 leave the Indian shores a free man. He leaves it under 

 the bondage of a five years' contract, which, however un- 

 suitable he may find the work he ig put to, he is compelled 

 to complete, and a further service of five years, before he 

 can claim a passage back to his native land. Under such 

 a system, view it as you please, emigration must partake 

 in some degree, remote let it be, of the nature of the slave 

 trade. As long as the coolies go to a British colony the 

 Indian Government has the satisfaction of knowing, that 

 living under the protection of English laws, their slavery 

 will be of the very mildest form ; but in the case of foreign 

 colonies it has no such guarantee. 



" From the moment the Government of India considers 

 its Indian subjects to be in a condition to exercise their 

 free wilHn matters of this kind, the bearings of the case 

 are completely altered. The native of India then, will be 

 as free as the native of Britain. But until that time has 

 come, apart altogether from considerations regarding the 

 wants of this country, I certainly would not advocate the 

 multiplication of treaties, at least with foreign powers, to 

 facilitate the emigration of Indian coolies. The Honourable 

 Mr. Eden says that return coolies bring back large sums of 

 money sometimes as much as Es. 5,000 ; and Dr. Mitchell 

 of Trinidad, in his letter to Mr. Chamevorzow, states' that 

 since the year 1850, 1705 male adults, with their families, 



