THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE. 377 



" A proof of this, and a marked difference, may be seen daily 

 in the vicinity of Port-of- Spain. The Portuguese are chiefly settled 

 in the town and its vicinity, as gardeners, &c. : their services are 

 at a premium, their work is, on the whole, more valuable ; they get 

 higher wages than the African, the coolie, or the Creole, so that 

 their circumstances are at least as good in fact better ; for they 

 live more economically." (Lord Harris to Earl Grey, February, 

 1848.) 



" The immigrant has been looked upon too much as a mere 

 animal whose labour is valuable ; whereas I would endeavour'to 

 make him eventually a useful colonist, an industrious and worthy 

 citizen. To attain this, he must be subjected to a discipline, and to 

 education. The provisions of that discipline must be directed, 

 superintended, and enforced by the government in a colony like 

 this. To leave it to the proprietor or manager, to whom the 

 immigrant may be intrusted as a labourer, is probably rendering 

 the plan nugatory ; there are duties towards those under him 

 which he is also ignorant of, and which he must be taught." This 

 is impartial, noble, and independent language; and on such 

 language full reliance ought to be placed, when it is supported by 

 such opinions as are expressed in the following passage : " Though 

 I fully and cordially agree with you in opinion, that the highest 

 interests of the negroes require that the cultivation of sugar 

 should not be abandoned, and that the proprietors of European 

 race should be enabled to maintain their present place in the 

 society of the colony, which can only be done by giving them a 

 greater command of labour ; yet I am hardly prepared to go so 

 far as to say that we ought to place the labouring population in 

 circumstances in which a greater amount of labour than at present 

 shall be required to supply their wants. To do so is effectually 

 to diminish their comfort and happiness ; for I do not think it 

 necessarily follows that the continued daily drudgery of labour 

 improves the lower classes, either morally or physically, more 

 especially in a climate in which the human frame is easily 

 fatigued, and frequently prostrated." 



The Immigration Ordinance of 1849 has been since amended, 

 and, as it now stands, works to the satisfaction of all. A super- 

 intendent of emigrants has been appointed, with powers to 

 transact all business connected with the immigrants, their in- 

 denture, registration, &c. : he acts also as their protector and 



