The EARL of LINCOLNsaid, that, in rising to ask the question of the Under Secretary for the Colonies of which he had given notice on Friday last, in reference to an Address to the Crown agreed to last Session of Parliament, he hoped he might be allowed to preface his question by a statement of what occurred on that occasion. On the 1st of June, 1847, he moved—
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that She will take into Her most gracious consideration the means by which colonisation may be made subsidiary to other measures for the improvement of the social condition of Ireland, and by which, consistently with a full regard to the interests of the colonies themselves, the comfort and prosperity of those who emigrate may be effectually promoted.Upon that occasion a debate ensued, in the course of which many hon. Members expressed themselves strongly in favour of the Motion. He had explained to the House that his object in moving the address was, that the Government should appoint a Commission to inquire into the subject. The noble Lord at the head of the Government, in the course of his speech, while assenting to the Motion, explained the mode in which the inquiry should be carried out. The noble Lord disapproved altogether of appointing a Commission, and said, among other things—If you want to get valuable opinions, you should take, first, the opinion of the Governor General and Council. I think next it would be desirable to have the opinion of experienced persons in the Executive Council, as well as that also of the Provincial Assembly"—(alluding, of course, to Canada.) The noble Lord also said—It would be necessary that such an inquiry should come from the Crown; and through those organs of the Crown in the province who are accustomed to transact business with the executive and legislative bodies.At the close of the noble Lord's speech, he said—We are quite ready to direct the Governors of each of our British American provinces to consult the legislative bodies and the executive bodies as to those plans which are most likely to be useful to the colonies, and to which they will most readily lend an ear, I am quite ready to say that we shall lay the whole result of these recommendations on the table of the House; at the same time giving the opinion of the Government upon them in another Session of Parliament.It appeared that some little doubt existed as to what the precise intention of the noble Lord was; and before the debate closed, an hon. Gentleman, then a Member of the House (Sir W. James), said— 308He did not quite collect whether the noble Lord intended any special inquiries to be made beyond those ordinarily made through the Governors of colonies,The noble Lord replied—That there would be special inquiries upon this subject, but not by the appointment of a Commission.To this address, so assented to by the House, Her Majesty, on the 14th of the same month, was pleased to return this most gracious answer:—I have taken into my consideration the Ad-dross of my faithful Commons. I am deeply sensible of the advantage which may be derived from the adoption of further measures for the promotion of colonisation; and I will direct such inquiries to be made as will enable Parliament to adopt a course free from those evils which any precipitate legislation on this subject might cause both to the emigrants and to the colonies.On the 20th of December last—on the day before the House adjourned for the Christmas holidays—he (the Earl of Lincoln) asked the noble Lord whether any answers had been given to the despatches which had been sent out from the Colonial Office in consequence of that address; and, if so, whether those answers would be laid on the table of the House? The noble Lord at once said that all the papers connected with the subject should be produced. In the course of the recess, certain papers were delivered; but there did not appear to be amongst them any despatch relative to the inquiry he (the Earl of Lincoln) had suggested, nor any answer to show that any inquiries had been instituted. Thirteen months having now elapsed since that Motion was made and assented to by the Government, the question he now wished to put to the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary for the Colonies was, whether any and what step had been taken by the Colonial Office pursuant to that address? And presuming, as, of course, he might do, that in accordance with the promise of the noble Lord (Lord J. Russell), an inquiry had been made into this subject, he would ask the hon. Gentleman further, whether there was any objection to lay upon the table of the House copies of any despatches sent out by the Colonial Office on the subject, and of the answers received from the colonial governments to those despatches?
§ MR. HAWEShoped the House would permit him to make a few observations in answer to the question put to him by the noble Lord. The noble Lord had correctly stated the nature of the Motion made by him on the 1st of June, 1847, and also the 309 nature of the answer given by the noble Lord at the head of the Government to that Motion. On the 4th of June, in the House of Lords, a Select Committee was moved for and appointed—
To consider the means by which colonisation may be made subsidiary to other measures for the improvement of the social condition of Ireland, and by which, with a full regard to the interest of the colonies themselves, the comfort and prosperity of those who emigrate may be promoted.This Motion, and that of the noble Earl, were as nearly as possible identical in their object, and very nearly so in words. The Committee of the House of Lords had made great progress in their inquiries. Evidence of various witnesses had been obtained, but the Committee had not yet closed their labours. He should, however, very imperfectly answer the noble Earl if he were to allow it to be supposed that the Colonial Office were remaining quiescent pending the inquiry by that Committee. Now, since the noble Lord's Motion had been made, measures had been taken which had materially added to the comfort and health of emigrants. The mortality among persons who emigrated last year was extremely large; but by reason of measures judiciously adopted, the mortality this year had been reduced to nearly one per cent. Papers had already been laid on the table of the House; and he should lay further papers before the House to-night, which entered into the whole subject. There was one portion to which he more particularly wished to direct the attention of the House. For the purpose of promoting emigration to New South Wales, the sum of 100,000l. had been sanctioned to be advanced upon debentures secured on the territorial revenues of the colony. Accounts having been received from the colony that all the old debentures had been paid off, his noble Friend at the head of the Colonial Department sanctioned a fresh loan to the extent of 300,000l., to be secured on the territorial and general colonial revenues, to be applied for the purposes of emigration; and that was gradually being brought into operation. Emigration to Australia and New South Wales was of a most extensive character. It was calculated that by the end of December, the number of emigrants to Australia would amount to 13,800, and to New South Wales to 4,900; making altogether 18,700 emigrants. Besides that, the number of emigrants to the united States from the 1st of January to the 1st of June, 310 1847, was 174,000; and from the 1st of January to the 1st of June, 1848, 124,000.