CO885(3-4) — Page 194

Proceedings at a Deputation to the Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon, at the Colonial Office, Friday, May 4, 1877, consisting of Proprietors and Merchants interested in the Island of Jamaica.

THE Deputation were introduced to his Lordship by Mr. Daniel Hill, ́as follows:-

My Lord, when I have had the honour of waiting upon you, I have of late usually been accompanied by gentlemen who have been well satisfied with the working of the Constitution, but on the present occasion I have to introduce to your Lordship a deputation of gentlemen connected with Jamaica, both proprietors and merchants, some of whom are very old and respected inhabitants of the island, who are not quite so well satisfied with the working of the Constitution at present.

Some years ago

the old Constitution, which at one time worked admirably, from causes which I need not explain, became anything but satisfactory in its working, and in 1868 it handed over the government of the island to the Crown. I am sorry to say that the working of the Constitution since has not given that satisfaction which was expected. We have prepared a statement, which I hope your Lordship will allow Mr. Lubbock to read. There is only one gentleman that I wish to call upon to speak, and he is anxious to give your Lordship some information about the sanitary state of Jamaica, I refer to Dr. Bowerbank, a very old and experienced inhabitant of the island.

Mr. Lubbock. My Lord, we proprietors and merchants interested in the Island of Jamaica beg to thank your Lordship for allowing us this opportunity of expressing our views upon the condition of the Colony, which we hope will lead to very beneficial reforms taking place under the administration of Sir Anthony Musgrave.

If Jamaica were in a condition of natural development of its resources, evidenced by increasing production and trade, we should not have to complain to your Lordship of an excessive expenditure; but non-progression in a country with such immense opportunities is equivalent to going backwards. In 1860 the total exports were valued at 1,250,000l., it was not until 1870 that they again reached this amount, and up to 1874 the average was not appreciably greater. In 1867 there were 31,000 hogsheads of sugar exported, in 1875 only 28,000 hogsheads. There was a fairly good increase of the coffee production, but pimento had slightly fallen off. The exports of logwood and other woods are very fluctuating, but the average exports of these articles in 1873-4-5 were less than in 1867-8-9. We do not put forward the exports of the island as an infallible test of its true condition, but we say that the export trade of a purely agri- cultural country in the tropics is an element of the very first and most vital impor- tance, especially in estimating the taxable power of the population. Many native families are comfortably settled on their freeholds, growing provisions for their own consumption, but it might have been expected that if the bulk of the native labour which had withdrawn from the estates had been fully occupied in producing other articles, imported food to the value of 600,000, out of a total import of 1,759,9421. would not have been required. Of course these imports have to be paid for, but it would be a sounder system if the money so spent were represented in exported pro- duce, and when it is considered that the proportion of exports per head of population in British Guiana and Trinidad is about 121. and in Jamaica under 31., it will be evident that much remains to be done to encourage habits of industry, to prevent unprofitable squatting, to increase production of whatever kind, and thereby raise the general exports of the Colony.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LICO. 885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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