38 TRINIDAD. 



on sugar of average quality; the duty now stands at 12s. or 

 2 dols. 88 cents.; and sugar of what is called fair quality, sells in 

 the colonies at from 2 dols. 50 cents, to 2 dols. 80 cents. So mon- 

 strous is the injustice, cloaked under the plea of revenue, that, un- 

 less we admit such an impost as intentionally directed against us, 

 I cannot understand how it could have been so coolly sanctioned 

 by a British Parliament. I have heard it said that the colonists 

 would gain very little by a reduction of duty, because such reduc- 

 tion would only influence the home consumption. But even this, 

 small as it may be, would still be a clear gain ; and it is evident, 

 from the example of the United States, that the consumption con- 

 sequent on this reduction, would greatly increase in the United 

 Kingdom. Let me here offer one suggestion to the people of 

 England : a diminution of duty on sugar would benefit them the 

 inhabitants of Great Britain whilst the rest of the world are 

 those advantaged by the system now adopted as regards all com- 

 modities admitted free. I am not an fait as to what may be the 

 position of landed property in the other colonies, but I can affirm, 

 as regards Trinidad, that the following estimates are correct. The 

 expenses of a sugar estate, producing 200 hhds., or 360,000 Ibs. 

 of sugar annually, may be set down at 9,000 dols., and the value 

 of such an estate estimated at 25,000 dols. .At 250 dols. per cwt. 

 the 200 hhds. of sugar casks comprised will yield 10,000 dols. ; 

 100 puncheons of molasses, 1,500 dols., grand total 11,500 dols. ; 

 deduct 9,000 dols., there then remain 2,500 dols. ; deduct an in- 

 terest of 8 per eent. on the value of the property, and the result 

 is 500 dols. for contingencies, improvements, &c. I have taken, 

 as an example, a sugar estate making 200 hhds. of sugar, and 

 skilfully managed ; those making more are in a better position, 

 but those making less in still worse. 



Now, as a sugar planter cannot turn his sugar estate into a 

 cacao or other plantation, without great loss, he must struggle on, 

 hoping even against hope, till ruin overwhelms him ; the estate 

 will then be abandoned. This process, which has been going on 

 in Jamaica, Dominica, &c., and which has rendered those colonies 

 worthless, must, I fear, commence in Trinidad and Demerara, 

 for sugars selling at 2 dols. 50 cents., here as elsewhere, the result 

 must be the same. Let me therefore state, in the words of the 

 " Economist," that " It is clearly not to the interest, even of the 

 consumer, that prices should be lower than the fair relation of 

 supply and demand justifies, inasmuch as such a state of the 

 market would discourage those necessary supplies, which may be 

 hereafter required." But, even admitting that a reduction of the 

 present duties would not influence the price of sugar in the colo- 

 nies, this act would tend to prove that the British Parliament is 

 desirous of dealing fairly towards the colonies. But as long as 

 the present system is persevered in, so long we have reason to 



