CO885(1-2) — Page 134

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a constituency of about 800 out of a population of about 120,000. It represents the merchants, planters, and absentee proprietors. The Crown is the only representative of the people, and in their present ignorance and helplessness, the only representative it is possible for the people to have. power left to the Crown, such as it is, under the Civil List arrangement, is a power which it is very inconvenient to the Crown to possess, but a power which it is their duty to keep and defend, so long as it is necessary for the protection of the people. The affairs of the people are already to a great extent ruled by the votes of the proxies of absentee proprietors. If the influence of ab- sentee proprietors voting by proxy in the colony against the interests of the people, be supported by the influence of the same proprietors voting in person in Parliament, the Crown may no doubt be relieved from the exercise of a power which exposes the Government to inconvenience, but the interests of the people in the colony and the interests of liberty and justice will not be con- sulted.

The

The total revenue is about 227,000l. Civil List is 33,7501. (it was originally 39,0721., but has been relieved by pensions falling in, &c.) The Combined Court say that the revenue is too large. It has been raised to what it is by the Combined Court, not by the Government.

Excess of taxation (if any) owing to the Combined Court, not the Crown: about only applied by the Crown, about # by the Com- bined Court.

It Taxes bear on the people rather

than on the planter.

has been raised to what it is by taxes on the people, not by taxes on the planter. It does not Revenue flourishing, not falling. suffer by the planter's distress, and up to the

time of the stoppage of supplies it was not falling

off, but rising. A large portion of it (360,6861. Much spent for the planter on

in the eight years from 1841 to 1848) has been

expended for the benefit of the planter, on immi-

immigration.

gration.

The Combined Court never said the revenue Object of stopping the supplies political pressure, not fical was too large till they were instigated by absentee

relief.

proprietors and a party at home to stop the sup- plies, in order to force Parliament to maintain the protecting duties.

BRITISH GUIANA.

Stoppage of the Supplies. 1848.

1848.

w

ON the 31st December, 1848, the Court of Policy passed certain resolutions praying for a reduction of 25 per cent. on the Civil List salaries; but before Lord Grey's answer could be received, they made a demand on the Government for postponing the consideration of the estimates, until they should have received intelligence of the result of Lord George Bentinck's West India Committee, and of the intentions and decision of the Home Government, and of Parliament on the sugar duties. This was necessary to enable them, should the decision of Parliament be adverse to their demands, to stop the supplies, in the hope of so embarrassing the Government as to force them to adopt some comprehensive measures of relief.

Mr. Rose, the most influential of the colonial members, did not disguise the intentions of the colonial members, as will be seen from the Governor Light to Earl Grey, following extracts from a private and confidential

March 18, 1848.

In Parliamentary Papers, House despatch from Sir H. Light.

of Commons, No. 749, of 1848,

p. 243.

1848, p. 451.

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The news by the nail which gave the proprie-

Ditto House of Lords, No. 250, of tary body no hope of protection, has created great despondency, and I learned with regret the deter- mination that was current, to throw the whole affairs of the colony into confusion, by stopping the supplies."

"Mr. Rose called on me to-day by appointment: he confirmed what I had heard: he stated that it

B

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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