§ Mr. Fowell Buxtonwished to put a question of considerable importance to the hon. Gentleman, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies. He wished to know what steps had been taken, or were likely to be taken, for providing for the education of the negroes in the Colonies?
§ Mr. William Gladstonesaid, that it was not very easy to reply to the question in a few words. All he could say was, that since the present Government had entered office, the attention of the noble Lord at the head of the Colonial Department had been most anxiously directed to the subject. A very short time before he received the Seals of office, circular letters had been sent to all the West-India Colonies, demanding from all the religious bodies and Ecclesiastical authorities engaged in promoting education and religious worship there, very full information as to the extent of means existing. Of course, before the Government could be enabled to decide upon the amount of instruction required, they must be in possession of the fullest information as to the amount at present existing. The returns were now arriving daily. One or two Colonies had already sent them; but it was impossible to adopt any definitive measure until the whole had arrived: by that time, he hoped, 465 the noble Lord at the head of the Colonial Department would be enabled to make up his mind upon the subject. With regard to the expenses, he trusted a large portion of the deficiency would be supplied from private sources, and by the exertions of religious bodies. For the remainder, they must apply to Parliament, if necessary; believing that the pledge Parliament had given to assist in the religious education of the West India apprentices was just as distinct and binding, even though it was not as determined, as their pledge to pay twenty millions of money.
§ Mr. Fowell Buxtonhad another question which he was desirous to take this opportunity of asking. It was highly important that persons should be appointed as special Magistrates who had no connection or interest in common with the West-India body. He wished to know, whether the persons who had been appointed in Jamaica, were individuals of this description, or whether, in fact, any of the ordinary Magistrates of the Colony had been appointed.
§ Mr. Gladstonewas unable to say that such persons had not been appointed as special Magistrates in any case. Thus much, however, he could say, that no person interested in the West-India Colonies had been appointed as a special Magistrate in the Island of Jamaica. It was impossible to give any absolute pledge upon the subject, because the Governor of the Colony retained, under the Act, the power of doing anything which was necessary, in his judgment, for the preservation of its peace and tranquillity. It was important that the hon. Gentleman and the House should be aware that the Governor of Jamaica had refused his assent to an Act making the appointment of these Magistrates absolutely necessary and a matter of course, and that his conduct met with the fullest approbation of the Government and of the Colony. Nothing was further from the wish of the English Government—nothing was further from the wish of the Colonial Government—nothing could be more improper than that that appointment should be deemed a matter of necessity in every case.