204 TRINIDAD. 



fifths of the entire population of the county, and it is well known 

 that towns generally supply a large number of offenders. The 

 proportion of debtors is three times less than in the county of 

 Victoria. 



Mayaro, St. David's, St. Andrew's, and Nariva, give the very 

 low ratio of 0'75 per cent. In these counties the immigrants are 

 very few, there being at present not one single large estate in 

 cultivation, and consequently few day or task labourers. I am 

 bound, however, to remark that the administration of the law is 

 extremely lax in these counties, owing to the remoteness of the 

 different sections. For instance, there is but one stipendiary 

 magistrate for the counties of Mayaro, St. Andrew, and Nariva, 

 and only one justice of the peace ; and for the last eleven months 

 no session has been held at Mayaro, on the plea of economy, or 

 rather of deficiency in funds. Now the steamer " Lord Harris " 

 receives a grant of 8 sterling each day it plies between Port of 

 Spain and San Fernando, and the " ice establishment" also re- 

 ceives encouragement from the colonial treasury, and yet a popu- 

 lation of 2,349 souls is, without compunction, left in an unprotected 

 state ! It will be conceded, however, that the social position of 

 individuals cannot but have its influence, and that a powerful one, 

 on the perpetration of crime, particularly of offences against pro- 

 perty ; it is, hence, undeniable that the small cottager who can 

 live independently by cultivating his own land, is less exposed to 

 the commission of crime than the day labourers who live in a 

 crowded state on a sugar estate, and are wholly dependent upon 

 money wages, paid weekly or fortnightly, for their subsistence. It 

 may be objected that the estate-labourer is more comfortable, 

 generally speaking, than the cottager. Granted ; but under our 

 present system he ought to be still more so than he really is, for 

 his lodging is free, and he neither pays taxes nor is burdened 

 with house-repairs ; whereas, on the other hand, the cottager, 

 though conscious that the pressure of these very burdens should 

 urge him to increased exertion, does not seek to realise his inde- 

 pendence by cultivating his land to the degree he might and 

 ought. Evidently, however, this cannot invalidate the principle 

 I have laid down ; and I have no doubt that were it practicable 

 to induce the labourers located on estates to cultivate their own 

 small patches of garden-land, the number of offences would 

 greatly decrease in the rural districts. 



