Letter to the Editor. 
94 
REPLY OP THE GOVERNMENT. 
Office of the Secretary of State of Foreign Relations, ) 
Port-au-Prince, August 17 , 1859 . f 
Sir: I have the privilege of transmitting to you the replies 
to the questions contained in your letter of the 4th instant, to 
His Excellency the President of Hayti, relative to emigration. 
It is chiefly to the development of Agriculture in Hayti, that 
the Government wishes to make this enterprise subservient. 
To that end it is disposed to accord special favors to persons 
of that profession who shall decide to emigrate. To agricultur¬ 
ists, and to those who shall come here with the intention of 
devoting themselves to cultivation, it will accord the following 
advantages: 
First, It will pay their passage at the rate of fifteen piastres 
(Spanish or American dollars) for each able-bodied man or 
woman ; and at that of eight piastres for children of twelve and 
under, and old persons beyond sixty years. 
Second, It will board and lodge them for eight days, while 
they are seeking other accommodations. 
It may be proper to explain here the usage respecting con¬ 
tracts which are ordinarily formed between agriculturists and 
proprietors in the country. The proprietors advance the lands 
and works, (usines,) the agriculturists undertake the cultivation 
and improvements; the produce is equally divided between the 
proprietor and agriculturist. The emigrants may each make 
contracts if they see fit. The emigrants will find land to buy 
from private individuals. They may also obtain it from the 
Government, and at a reasonable price, on easy terms of pay¬ 
ment, if the State possesses land in the districts where the emi¬ 
grants shall establish themselves. 
The Government will extend to them the same protection as 
to Haytians themselves. For the rest, shortly after their arrival 
in the country, they can have the same civil and political rights 
as the Haytians; for, according to the civil code of Hayti, 
every person descended from African or Indian blood, can. 
