244 TRINIDAD. 



neither just nor politic to sacrifice all other cultures to that sole 

 branch. The exemption from taxation of labourers' houses, and 

 buildings for the purpose of sugar manufacture, was not only a par- 

 tial and invidious measure, but the territorial ordinance was 

 avowedly passed with a view to hinder the emancipated from be- 

 coming landowners, thus indirectly compelling the whole class to 

 work for day wages on estates. 



Once bent on this object, our legislators were not even arrested 

 by the certainty of inflicting injury on the entire body of small 

 proprietors. Neither did they perceive that, whilst endeavouring 

 to close this door against the manumitted slaves, they were keeping, 

 widely open, a gate through which that class so often rush upon 

 their ruin, in order to avoid the necessity of working as hired 

 labourers : I allude to the uncontrolled facility afforded to shop- 

 keeping, and to handicrafts, without even the preliminary step of 

 indented apprenticeship in the latter, or of adequate capital in the 

 former. 



An effectual barrier was thus set against the increase of small 

 proprietors. But, instead of locating on, or returning to sugar 

 and cacao estates, the emancipated bondsmen gave themselves 

 up to petty traffic, and devoted their children likewise to mechanical 

 trades. The towns and villages became crowded to excess with a 

 swarm of idlers and swindlers ; and the avenues to honest industry 

 were obstructed by the numbers of those who, by the abandon- 

 ment of field-labour, necessarily originated a ruinous competition 

 in the various crafts to which they resorted. Hence arose, at the 

 same time, a scarcity of labour, not only in carrying on the cultiva- 

 tion of our staples, but even in the prdduction of alimentary articles. 



Setting aside the discouragement created by the very heavy 

 charges on landed property, there is, evidently, a dislike among all 

 classes to agricultural pursuits. On the part of the emancipated, 

 this is too natural to be blamed, however much to be regretted. 

 In their estimation, slavery has stamped field-labour with 

 infamy, so much so, that servile in-door occupations are deemed 

 more respectable than field work. On the other hand, agricultural 

 pursuits are disliked by the educated, both on account of the pre- 

 carious nature of the crops, the difficulty of procuring continuous 

 employment, and also because such pursuits require unremitting 

 attention and application ; in fact, I really know of no occupation 

 more laborious than that of an overseer during the crop season. 



