SUPPLY—BRITISH GUIANA. (Hansard, 22 July 1850)

§ MR. HUME
, although reluctant to detain the Committee, wished for a few moments to call the attention of the Government and the House to the state of affairs in British Guiana; and in order to show the improper and harsh treatment which that colony had received, it would be necessary to state that he had during the present year presented a petition, setting forth the unfortunate state of the colony, and praying for a reform in its institutions. In 1849 the hon. Member for Inverness had obtained a Committee to inquire into the affairs of British Guiana and Ceylon; and British Guiana being taken first, the Committee came to the conclusion that the present state of the colonial institutions was 89 most objectionable, and led to serious interruption and injury in public business. They refrained from giving any opinion as to the mode in which alterations should be carried out, but strongly recommended that they should be decided on in friendly concert with the inhabitants, and should proceed on the basis of greatly extending tin-franchise. He must say that after the speech of the noble Lord at the commencement of the Session he had some hopes that efficient remedies would be adopted: but he was sorry to say that those hopes had been disappointed, and that Governor Barkly, himself professedly a colonial reformer, instead of carrying out the principles which he had stated before the Committee, had acted as badly, if not worse, than any of his predecessors. The House might not be aware that there were two legislative institutions in British Guiana. One of them contained ten Members—five elective, and five nominated by the Crown; and the result was that the Governor having the casting vote, could, and did, render nugatory the votes of the five elected Members. This was in direct contradiction to the report of a Committee of that House. The colonists had petitioned Parliament, the Government, and the Queen in Council, in short had adopted every means open to them, within the constitution, to obtain re dress; but no attention whatever had been paid to their complaints, or their discontent. That discontent still existed, and was increasing. It was only by the last packet he had received the account of a large meeting renewing the agitation, which had been for some time suppressed, trusting to the promises of Government, but which was now likely to assume an aggravated form. It was melancholy to think that the Colonial Office would not listen to the moderate complaints of the colonists. The Cape had got free institutions by resistance, and Canada by revolution, and unless the noble Lord interfered, he feared that the same game would be played in other places. He should like to know what would the people of England say to a legislative assembly constructed like the Court of Policy, in which the Prime Minister should have the casting voice on all questions. [The hon. Member then read the proceedings of the meeting to which he had before alluded.] The people complained that they were governed from Downing-street, and not in accordance with their own wishes or feelings, and asked for institutions similar to those of Bar- 90 badoes, Jamaica, or Canada. Several re solutions embodying those opinions were agreed to and forwarded to Governor Barkly. He (Mr. Hume) did not wish to detain the House with lengthened details, but would merely express his hope that the House would not let the colony be ruined by the policy of this country. They wished to have the management of their pecuniary affairs, and it did appear extremely hard that such control should be refused to them.

§ LORD J. RUSSELL
said, that no despatches had been received from Guiana since May last that would answer the description given by the hon. Member for Montrose; and his hon. Friend the Under Secretary for the Colonies had not as yet had time time to read those which had been received. He feared, however, that his hon. Friend bad not made the House acquainted with the real facts of the case, or difficulties with which the Governor had to contend. The party who were clamouring were not a popular reform party, but a close oligarchy, and their real grievance was that the franchise had been extended by the Governor. It was quite true that this party, finding themselves obliged to resort to open election, were now asking for a constitution similar to that possessed by other colonies. The hon. Member for Montrose had stated that the Governor, having the casting voice, was enabled to cushion any attempt made at reform in the Court of Policy; but the case in point bore completely in the opposite direction. It appeared that a Motion was made for a new form of Legislative Council; and the Governor, the Chief Justice, and the Colonial Secretary declined to vote, thus enabling the gentleman who made the Motion to carry it. It was not true, therefore, that the Governor, by his casting vote, was in the habit of defeating all Motions for reform. With respect to the general question, it was, whether the colony was prepared to receive extended political institutions. Governor Barkly had stated that it was not yet ripe for such institutions, and that it would be better in the first instance to extend the franchise to the 91 small proprietors, instead of leaving it to the narrow, and, he (Lord J. Russell) must add, selfish party who now monopolised it. That had been done, and whether the franchise could be more extended was a question depending on the state of the colony, and which he should be much better able to answer after the receipt of the despatches. He did not believe there was any one in this country who would contend that all our colonies should at once get representative institutions; but they would be introduced whenever it was prudent; and when the people were prepared, they would he gradually extended. With regard to the statement he had made early in the Session, he was still prepared to say that he should he glad to see the franchise of British Guiana extended; and he looked forward to an early future when the colony would be governed by a locally-elected House of Assembly.

§ MR. HUME
said, that as the despatches had not as yet arrived, and after what had fallen from the noble Lord, he was willing to withdraw his Motion.

§ LORD J. RUSSELL
said, it must be negatived, not withdrawn.