333 



immigration agency, and afford reasonable pro- 

 tection to their interests. On this subject Mr. Wil- 

 liamson, one of the earlist experimentalists in 

 Tea, wrote in November 1859. " As to the mea- 

 sures which the Government could adopt to assist 

 the Tea Planters in extending the cultivation of 

 the Tea plant, I think a moderate increase in the 

 land revenue would in some degree tend towards 

 this object and might be carried out without de- 

 triment. A decrease in the Opium cultivation 

 would also cause a greater number of loborers to 

 work on Tea plantations. A steady flow of emi- 

 grant labor in to the province is, I think, the prin- 

 cipal means by which the cultivation of the Tea 

 plant can be extensively increased. An emigra- 

 tion scheme to be successful, would require to be 

 conducted under the auspices of Government, 

 and a fund for the purpose provided by the Tea 

 planters. And after remarking to the same effect, 

 Mr. Stewart, another planter added : "By issuing 

 more stringent laws to compel laborers and con- 

 tractors to respect their agreements, and a summary 

 mode of proceeding against them when they do 

 not do so, and when they desert the factories, as at 

 present numbers of them do with very large ad- 

 vances in their hands, whenever they please; hereby 

 causing great loss to the Planters, who, before they 

 can obtain legal redress from the Courts as at 

 present constituted, see most of their crops perish 



