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Emigration Agency at Madras. Your despatch is at present under consideration, and I shall hope to communicate further with you at an early date. meantime, I invite your attention to the observations contained in the eleventh In the paragraph of the enclosed letter* to the Emigration Agent at Calcutta.] ·

39449

No. 96.

I have, &c.,

L. HARCOURT.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS. [Answered by Nos. 127 and 173.]

(Fiji. No. 339.) (Trinidad. No. 441.)

SIR,

(British Guiana. No. 313.) (Jamaica. No. 372.)

WITH reference to my despatch, No. (313) (405) (288) (336), of the

Downing Street, 31 December, 1912. 3rd instant, I have the honour to transmit, for your information, a copy of a lettert from the India Office, covering a copy of further correspondence received from the Government of India with regard to the proposed insertion in the contracts of service for East Indian labourers of information as to the penalties to which they are liable for breaches of their engagements.

I have, &c.,

L. HARCOURT.

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2. I am to refer to the letter from this Department of the 19th ultimo,* in` which you are requested to confer with Mr. Marsden on various questions in connection with the rearrangement of the business of the Calcutta agencies, and to inform you that it would appear desirable that you and he should confer on this matter also. I am to request you to furnish a report in due course, which should deal not only with the points referred to in the letter to Mr. Marsden of the 13th of November, but also with the question whether, in the event of the agency at Madras being made subordinate to the amalgamated agency at Calcutta, the expenses of the Madras agency and the cost of recruiting in that Presidency could be pooled with the Calcutta expenses.

3. If some such arrangement could be made the result would be that all expenses connected with indentured emigration from India to the four Colonies concerned, up to the time of the despatch of the ships from India, would be pooled, and divided in proportion to the number of coolies recruited by each Colony."

4. With reference to Mr. Marsden's observation that the Government of Jamaica considers the end of February or the beginning of March the most suitable time for emigrants to arrive in the island, I am to observe that apparently the recruiting for Jamaica last season took place in February and March, and that the emigrants only arrived in the Colony in April and May.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

39449

No. 97.

37653

SIR,

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS. [Answered by Nos. 127 and 188.]

(Fiji) (Trinidad.) (Confidential.).

(British Guiana.) (Jamaica.)

Downing Street, 31 December, 1912.

I HAVE the honour to refer to my numbered despatch of even date,§ herewith, transmitting copies of further correspondence forwarded by the Government of India, with regard to the proposed insertion in coolie immigrants' contracts of information as to their penal liabilities in the Colony.

2. You will no doubt carefully consider the provisions of the immigration laws, and especially those relating to penalties, in consultation with Mr. McNeill and Mr. Chimman Lal, as it will be desirable to take early steps for effecting any amendments which full consideration and discussion with the Indian represen- tatives may show to be necessary.

3. The drafts of any amendments which may be proposed as the result of this discussion with the deputation from India should be submitted for my con- sideration as soon as possible, with a full explanatory report.

37022

No. 98. JAMAICA.

I have, &c.,

L. HARCOURT.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE ACTING GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT CALCUTTA FOR JAMAICA.

SIR,

Downing Street, 3 January, 1913.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you a copy of corres- pondence with Mr. Marsden, in this country, respecting the expenses incurred in recruiting East Indian labourers for Jamaica, and the suggestion of the Governor that such expenses should be pooled among the Colonies using the Agency, and an average per head charged to each Colony in respect of the numbers supplied.

No. 99.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT MADRAS FOR FIJI.

SIR,

[Copy to Governor, Fiji, 22 January, 1913. No. 35.]

Downing Street, 17 January, 1913.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to inform you that the Governor of Fiji has laid before the Secretary of State a proposal that advantage should be taken of the amalgamation of the two British Emigration Agencies at Calcutta- which is to be carried out during the ensuing year-to subordinate the Madras Emigration Agency to the new joint agency at Calcutta.

2. It is probable that in future recruiting for the West Indian Colonies will be carried on more extensively in the Madras Presidency than has been the case in the past, and in the circumstances it is thought advisable to abolish the separate agency at Madras and to place that agency under an assistant, who will be made responsible to the joint agency at Calcutta.

3. In these circumstances it will be necessary that your appointment as Emi- gration Agent for Fiji at Madras should come to an end, at any rate from the date on which the new Assistant Agent is prepared to take up his duties at Madras. It is unlikely that it will be possible to arrange for this officer to reach India for some time, and it is not in any case proposed that you should relinquish your duties until after the close of the forthcoming recruiting season, i.e., it is understood, about the month of May.

4. I am to add that Mr. Harcourt is in communication with the Governor of Fiji with regard to the question whether any retiring allowance may be awarded to you in respect of your services to that Colony.

I am, &c.,

HENRY LAMBERT, for the Under-Secretary of State.

• No. 90.

† No. 86.

‡ No. 89.

§ No. 96.

Nos. 82 and 83.

• No. 91.

↑ No. 82:

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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