382 TRINIDAD. 



unable to pay high wages, the colony has been drained of an 

 immense amount of specie in payment of alimentary articles 

 imported from America, Venezuela, and other countries. The 

 mass of the population are still inclined to articles of luxury and 

 finery, but they do not appear to be concerned if they cannot 

 procure them, and seem content to go about with any clothing 

 consistent with decency ; as to comfort, it is to them a matter of 

 the greatest indifference. But, unfortunately, one of the sad- 

 dest consequences of misery is to render its subject callous to his 

 position and indifferent to immorality ; he feels neither attraction 

 towards virtue nor repulsion to vice ; and the more wretched a 

 population becomes, the more difficult is the task of inculcating 

 habits of industry and virtue ; so that the efforts necessary to 

 regenerate an impoverished and degenerate community, must be 

 greater in proportion as measures have been longer delayed, or 

 as the enforcement of those adopted have been neglected. Strin- 

 gent processes, for instance, have been issued against squatting, 

 or the illegal occupation of crown lands ; and yet, the squatters 

 remain in the statu quo of undisturbed possession. Squatting, 

 however, is an evil of much detriment, inasmuch as it exercises 

 the most baneful influence on the morality of the people and the 

 interests of the country, for a squatter is a man who violates the 

 rights of property, and, to a certain extent, frees himself from 

 the obligations which are imposed on the other members of the 

 community. 



In all civilised countries the rights of property are regarded 

 as of a most important, essential, and sacred nature. I main- 

 tain, therefore, that squatting ought to be discountenanced by all 

 means, for the inviolability of property must be respected, be it 

 individual, in corporate bodies, or in the crown ; and the rights 

 to the soil must be vindicated on the same impartial scale. This 

 can be effected but by the strong arm of the law. New measures 

 might be adopted ; an ordinance might be enacted, with pro- 

 visions suited to the emergency of the case, and adequate to the 

 repression of the evil. For instance, let the entering into pos- 

 session, or the occupation of any portion of crown lands, after a 

 given date, made known by proclamation in all the wards of the 

 colony, be declared a misdemeanour, punishable by fine and 

 imprisonment the amount of each penalty to be increased on a 

 repetition of the offence. Let strict injunctions be issued to the 



