MOTION FOR AN ADDRESS. (Hansard, 14 March 1876)

§ MR. ERRINGTON
rose to call attention to certain abuses in the treatment of Coolies in the island of Saint Vincent, West Indies, and to move— That an humble Address he presented to Her Majesty, that She will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before this House, Copies or Extracts of any Correspondence which may have passed from the 1st day of August 1875 to the present date, between the Governor of the Windward Islands, the Lieutenant Governor of Saint Vincent, and the Colonial Office, relative to alleged abuses in treatment of Coolies in Saint Vincent. The hon. Gentleman observed, that the regulations with regard to the Coolie traffic at St. Vincent were not so stringent as in other colonies, and that the administration of these regulations was also of an unsatisfactory character. What was required was a complete system of inspection, accompanied by careful statistics regularly published. This was done in the Island of Trinidad. There was not even a Return of the number of Coolies in the Island of St. Vincent. He had, however, ascertained, from private sources, that there were between 1,800 and 2,000 of them, scattered over 26 estates. There was one Emigration Agent in the whole colony, and he had to discharge also the duty of Inspector of Schools, 60 in number. In Trinidad there were several Emigration Agents, sub-agents, and assistants, resident in different parts of that Island. Then, the inspections in St. Vincent were almost 2074 of a purely formal character, and when they did take place, which was not often, the owners of the estates knew beforehand of the intended visits of the Inspector. There were only two or three interpreters for the whole of the Island, and not one in two of the most important police districts, containing some 800 Coolies. With regard to the Coolie laws, he was astonished to find that copies of the Acts could not be obtained because they were out of print, which was the first step towards the law which those Acts embodied becoming a dead letter. Then the costs and fees in the Law Courts pressed heavily on the Coolies, though formerly both they and the masters had been exempt from paying costs and fees. The administration of the Coolie law was practically in the hands of the Clerk of the Court. There were great anomalies in the administration of Coolie law by the three justices, and the constitution of the Executive Council was most unsatisfactory. He trusted that the hon. Gentleman who represented the Colonial Office in that House would be able to assure them that this matter would not be overlooked; that inquiries would be made and instructions issued, of the nature of which the House would be duly informed. As to the Papers he would not press for them, if the hon. Gentleman thought their production inexpedient; but many, very many, persons in this country who took the deepest interest in the Coolie question would be perfectly satisfied if they knew that the matter had the attention of the noble Earl at the head of the Colonial Office (the Earl of Carnarvon), whose policy commanded in so singular a manner the approbation and approval of the country.

§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL
, in seconding the Motion, said, that other colonies, like St. Vincent, received Coolies with the understanding that when their term of service was completed they would become freemen. He believed that that bargain was not always carried out, because the administration of the law in those colonies was almost entirely in the hands of the planters and merchants. The Coolie question was a most important one. The system under which it was regulated in the tea districts in India which imported Coolies ought to be also practised in these Crown colonies, in order to secure a pure administration of 2075 justice. That was to say, the administrative officers and the traders should have no connection with the planting interest.

§ MR. J. LOWTHER
admitted that the subject was one of importance and had been ably introduced by the hon. Member. It had been stated that some system in reference to Coolie labour would have to be settled, and that the existing system should not be encouraged any further. Without saying that the whole system was properly regulated, he might say that in this Island it was upon a sound system. There were 35,000 souls upon the Island, of whom 2,400 were Europeans, 24,000 were Africans, who were not devoted adherents to manual labour. The population of the Island was not, therefore, capable of developing its resources; but he agreed that the importation of Coolies should be strictly watched. As to the want of adequate inspection, the Coolie population was under 1,500, and there was an Emigration Agent, who was a very efficient officer. As to the fees in the Courts, they were merely nominal, and did not deter any person from bringing his case into Court. The death-rate amongst Coolies according to the last accounts was very low, and the Emigration Agents reported that the condition of that class was generally good, tolerable evidence that they were not subjected to the deplorable ill-treatment which the hon. Gentleman supposed. He might add that none of the gentlemen to whom reference was made were planters, and that it was a mistake to suppose that the administration of justice was entirely in the hands of persons of that class. As to the Papers mentioned, he had no objection to their production; but he did not think the hon. Gentleman would find that they bore out his case.

§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH
thought, from his knowledge of this Island, that the Coolie system would require 2076 careful and constant watchfulness on the part of the Foreign Office.