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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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882

2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Protection afforded

to the immigrants in the Colony.

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tions which have induced Her Majesty's Government to extend it to three, would, almost equally, justify the extending of it to five; and as, in most cases, the planter could not venture to introduce, at his own charge, immigrants engaged for only three years, the Committee trust that he may be allowed to engage them for the longer period.

33. With respect to the engagements being made in the countries whence the immigrants may come, besides the guarantee against any abuse, offered by the appoint. ment of an Emigration Agent by the Government of this Colony, the Committee take for granted that the Governments of those countries would have a care that the people under their protection were not made the dupes of the people here; and that, before they engaged, they were duly apprised and made perfectly to comprehend that they could be assured of nothing more than what they engaged for, and of due protection against all injustice and oppression, whilst they, the immigrants, would be required faithfully to fulfil their part of the contract.

34. The Committee consider the concluding words of the paragraph extracted above from the Governor's Minute, namely, "what is required in the Colony for his (the immigrant's) full and perfect protection," as referring to the functions of the Protector of immigrants, which the Committee have already pointed out, which appear to them sufficient, and, for the most part, very proper, and which, they have reason to believe, are entrusted to one whose conduct will never belię his official title. If the Committee have misinterpreted his Excellency's meaning, if they were invited "to show how the protection afforded to the immigrant in the Colony has worked out the end in view, that is, the fair treatment of the immigrant by his master," they can only attribute such meaning to a doubt in his Excellency's mind created by those misrepre sentations which are continually being made in England by individuals actuated by interested, or less worthy, motives, a doubt they are firmly convinced his Excellency can no longer entertain. This being the Committee's conviction, they are not careful to attempt the proof in question. If there be any who will not believe what Sir George Anderson may say on this subject and the Committee are satisfied his Excellency will never be backward to vindicate the Colony so far as it may require and deserve neither would they believe were the whole Colony to rise up and offer the most irre- fragable evidence of the fact.

35. Surely there is proof, à priori, abundantly sufficient. The supply of labour is altogether so unequal to the demand, the lack of competition for employment so com- plete, that not only must high wages be given for it, but even coaxing, and the most humiliating expedients, must often be resorted to in order to obtain it, whilst the most vexatious neglect and misconduct must be overlooked in order to keep it. Again, contracts of service are perfectly voluntary, and may be for one or more months, not exceeding, till very lately, twelve; wages are privileged; the Indian is by no means deficient in intelligence, and is peculiarly sensible of any injustice; a very little labour enables him to satisfy all his wants; the laws for his protection are ample and stringent, and in each of the ten districts into which the island is divided, there is a stipendiary magistrate, whose special duty it is to hear and determine complaints between masters and servants, and who makes a weekly report of his proceedings to the Governor; and these magistrates are all, with the exception of one, paid by the Imperial Government, and were born and brought up out of the Colony.

36. Under these circumstances, and being perfctly convinced that it is not the servant, but the master, who really is now wanting of protection, that the former not only enjoys liberty, but indulges, with impunity, in license, while the latter pays high wages, and is served with contumely and neglect, the Committee feel that to attempt to prove that the former is fairly dealt with by the latter would be to beget and justify a suspicion that the contrary is the case, would, in short, be like a gratuitous attempt, on the part of one who is altogether innocent to prove himself not guilty.

37. The Committee desire to add that their Report would have been presented at an earlier date but for other pressing matters which engaged much of their time and attention, and that they were desirous of waiting until the immigration expenditure for 1850 should have been fixed. The Estimates for this year were disposed of only the other day, and do not, as former Estimates have dono, include, in immigration expendi- ture, any charges connected with revenue heretofore applied to immigration purposes, the Secretary of State having, in his despatch No. 402, of 24th November, 1848, objected to the immigration and ordinary accounts being kept distinct.

88. In conclusion, the Committer, conscious how imperfectly, notwithstanding their

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best endeavours, they have treated the question submitted to them, commend their Report to the indulgent and favourable consideration of the Council, with the confident hope that, at least, the purport of its 29th Paragraph will be approved.

(Signed)

Council Chamber, Mauritius, January 9, 1850.

JAMES DOWLAND, Chairman.

Extracts from Governor Higginson's Despatch No. 22 of February 5, 1851.

§ 9. In determining the extent of future annual immigration, which it would be safe and politic to authorize, the contingency of such misfortune and ruin befalling the Colony, and beyond the control of either planters or Government, as would deprive the former of the means of employing the foreign labour introduced, and necessitate the return of the immigrants to their own country, at the public expense, ought, as your Lordship has frequently observed, to be borne in mind and duly provided for. But considering the vast improbability of so calamitous an event, involving the abrupt and total, or more than very gradual, abandonment of sugar cultivation, I am inclined to believe, and in this opinion I am supported by the Finance Committee here, that a reserve fund of not less than 25,0001. would be sufficient to guard against the ultimate embarrassment, and to place this Government in a position to keep its faith, and to redeem the obligations which it is held to have come under, namely, to provide free passages to all who demand them on the expiration of five years' industrial residence, or, on the occurrence of the contingency adverted to, to send back to India all whose term of residence had not expired and for whom employment could not be found.

§ 10. I had written thus far, when a précis of the correspondence that has taken place between the local and Imperial Governments, relating to the system of back passages, was placed in my hands by the Treasurer and President of the Immigration Committee. I beg leave to inclose an extract from this paper, containing information that will be found useful in determining the two questions herein submitted:--- 1st. The extent of future annual immigration from India to Mauritius. 2ndly. The amount of reserve fund considered adequate to meet the cost of back passages,

Minute of his Excellency the Governor.

1. I desire to bring under the deliberation of the Honourable the Legislative Council the question of the number of Indian immigrants required for the service of the current year; 6,000 only having been provided for on the estimates. Instructions have been issued to the agents at Calcutta and Madras, to adopt the requisite measures for insuring an early and regular supply to that extent; as well as to make up the deficiency of 1850, the complement of 9,000, sanctioned for that year, not having been all received at its termination. The agents were also apprised that 8,000 more might probably be required, respecting which a further communication would be made to

them.

2. Having reason to believe, from all the information I have been able to obtain, that less than 9,000 immigrants will not suffice to meet the demand for labour; and also seeing that the effect of introducing about 8,000 last year was most salutary as regards the agricultural interests, and certainly not injurious as regards those of the immigrants themselves, the rate of wages averaging during the period 11. 11d. per month, with the usual supply of rations, and no difficulty in obtaining continuous employment experienced by them,-I have applied to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for his sanction to 9,000 being imported for the service of 1851. But as it would seem, from a despatch received by the last packet from Earl Grey, that his Lordship is willing to leave to the Council and myself the decision upon this question, the interests of the Colony appear to me to demand that it should at once be taken up and determined.

3. In explanation of my own views upon a subject of so much public importance, I submit, for the information of the Council, the following paragraphs of my commu- nication to the Secretary of State, adverted to above:-

"It becomes necessary to consider whether the state of the finances will admit of the annual import being fixed at 9,000; whether so large a number be ally required to meet the demand for labour; and whether it would be prudent and

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