20 TRINIDAD. 



sedulously propagated. Can the same thing be said of the British 

 colonies, and is their population prosperous ? Yes, says Mr. Martin, 

 but this is an assertion I am bound to contradict. " The prosper- 

 ous condition of the mass of the people, is shown in their increased 

 ability to bear taxation and to purchase foreign commodities ; the 

 public revenue has risen from 432,999 sterling, to 715,759 

 sterling, and the imports from 3,205,528 sterling, to 4,624,547 

 sterling, although the value of the commodities usually imported, 

 has been of late years diminished." It would be a hard task for 

 any one to persuade the mass of the people in these colonies that 

 their condition is prosperous. Not only would tradesmen, such 

 as carpenters, masons, and others, show their wages to be less, but 

 complaints would be heard of being scarcely able to find employ- 

 ment ; the field labourer will add he is obliged to work longer, 

 and in a more continuous manner, in order to obtain a bare live- 

 lihood ; and the cotter will support the statement. Now, if we 

 take into account the increase of population, say 242,661, it will 

 be found that the augmentation of imports is only 477,429 

 sterling, instead of the 1,419,019 sterling that would appear by 

 Mr. Martin's account ; so that each freeman, at present, consumes 

 only 2. 5s. more than the slave did. It is also certain that part 

 of the sum is made up from the importation of food. But this 

 vaunted increase of imports is, in my opinion, a very meagre 

 proof of the " prosperous condition of the mass of the people," 

 because, had not such an increase taken place, the conclusion 

 should be that, as regards personal comfort, the freeman was in 

 a worse condition than the slave. It is also rather complacently 

 remarked, that the " value of the commodities usually imported 

 has been of late years diminished ;" but their quality and dura- 

 bility may be said to have also diminished in proportion. 



" The next point deserving of inquiry is the allegation that 

 the blacks are fast relapsing into a state of barbarism ; and that 

 Obeahism, witchcraft, and other devices of Satan, have been 

 resumed. An answer to this is given in the details furnished of 

 each island, showing an increase of churches, chapels, and schools, 

 and a decrease of crime." 



" The moral tone of society is necessarily improved; the coloured 

 girls who, during slavery, were educated to concubinage, now com- 

 monly intermarry in their own class, and not unfrequently form 

 unions with men of European blood." 



" The moral tone of society," I readily admit, has improved ; 

 respect is now paid to what at one time received none. Indi- 

 viduals dare not now publicly avow that which morality condemns ; 

 and concubinage, that foul leprosy which clung to slavery, is cer- 

 tainly not carried to the same extent. 



This, however, is improvement only in relation to the period of 

 slavery; but when our population is compared with European 



