374 TRINIDAD. 



ordinance, and passed, in 1847, for the encouragement of 

 immigration. 



Now, let us see the results from Lord Harris' despatches to 

 Earl Grey. 



" I cannot say that the ordinance, No. 9, 1847, for the 

 encouragement of immigration, has succeeded to my satisfac- 

 tion. The causes of its failure, I attribute, partly, to the very 

 depressed circumstances of the planters at the time of its being 

 brought into force, and the general conviction that the coolies would 

 not remain on the estates, consequently inducing a small demand 

 for the coolies ; and partly to its want of adaptation to the localities, 

 and the population with which it was intended to deal." 



" Many of the coolies left the estates within a week of entering 

 into contract, but no pains were taken to give the Government 

 any information of it." 



" Want of means was one cause why contracts were not 

 generally entered into by the planters." 



" But there was also a general feeling that the provisions of 

 the ordinance ivere not sufficiently stringent to warrant their advancing 

 the sum required" 



" That such has turned out to be the case there can be no doubt. 

 I shall proceed to explain why it appears to me that it was likely 

 to happen." 



" Your lordship will remember that the withdrawal of some 

 rules which I had established, respecting the management of the 

 coolies, was required by despatch, dated 15th September, 1846, and 

 they were accordingly cancelled, on the 17th October, following." 



" Doubtless there were numerous faults in those rules ; from 

 the circumstances of the case, they had been drawn up at a very 

 short notice ; but, all will allow, who had the opportunity of judging, 

 that during their operation, the coolies were healthy, well clothed, 

 generally contented, and improving daily in habits of industry."- 



" On the withdrawal of those rules they returned to the habits 

 which are natural to them : they left the estates, and were to be seen 

 wandering about the country in bands, and by the time that the 

 immigration ordinance came into force, but few were remaining on 

 the properties on which they had been generally located." 



" I must now explain how the provisions of this ordinance did 

 not serve to correct the evil. On entering into contract, the 

 coolies were liable, on breaking their engagements, to certain 



