398 TRINIDAD. 



Lord Harris must have contemplated the realisation of that object, 

 as appears by his despatches to Earl Grey ; but he, at the same 

 time, must have shrunk from the undertaking, on the consideration 

 that all the energies of the government ought primarily to be de- 

 voted to saving the cane cultivation from ruin. Moreover, had he 

 made any attempt at realising his views, he would have been en- 

 countered at once by a host of objections which the sale of Crown- 

 lands will always suggest to those who have but one sole object in 

 view the extension of cane cultivation. I have said enough, I 

 believe, on the vital importance of that branch of our agriculture, 

 to exculpate myself from the accusation which I anticipate that 

 of sacrificing the planting interest to inferior speculations; but 

 even such a censure cannot prevent me from calling attention to 

 what I am convinced is a serious mistake. Under present cir- 

 cumstances, we must encourage the production of articles other 

 than sugar ; inasmuch as, if we direct all our energy to the pro- 

 duction of that sole article, and it should become valueless, the 

 whole community must participate in the ruin of the sugar- planter. 



I may add, besides, in the words of Lord Harris, that " inatten- 

 tion to raising provisions is an evil of serious import, operating 

 unfavourably against reduced cost of production, by rendering the 

 labourers totally dependent upon high money-wages, to pay for 

 imported articles of consumption an alarming position to be in, 

 with the prospect of curtailed employment." I also say this : 

 we require a population, not only of field labourers, but of settlers; 

 and to invite the latter to our shores, we must offer them induce- 

 ments. 



All new countries have been settled by the facilities afforded 

 of purchasing virgin lands at a low rate : and, as a general rule, 

 population has increased in a quicker ratio where, all other things 

 equal, the price of land was lowest, and the conditions of purchase 

 easiest. The settlement of our own island of Trinidad may be 

 said to have fairly commenced, only after the Spanish govern- 

 ment had adopted their most liberal system of granting lands on 

 certain easy conditions. I am not prepared to recommend the 

 adoption of a similar system ; for public lands are public property, 

 appertaining to the integral community, and which ought to be 

 disposed of solely with a view to the advantage of all. Such lands, 

 therefore, should in all cases be duly notified for sale, and then 

 exposed and offered for public competition. To this it is objected, 



