§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLrose to call attention to the emigration of coolies from British India to the Colonies, which, he said, had of late years greatly fallen off. The reason why emigration of coolies from India was discouraged was, that the Colonies to which most of the emigrants went were practically under oligarchical government, and complaints were made by them of their treatment in our Crown Colonies. Complaints might fairly be made of those Colonies which were not made in respect of our self-governing Colonies; for instance, till recently he believed the coloured races were quite well treated in the Cape Colony and also in Canada. In the Crown Colonies there was a hankering after forced labour, in substitution for the slavery which was formerly relied upon for the cultivation of the plantations.
§ Notice taken, that 40 Members were not present; House counted, and 40 Members being found present,
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLresuming, said, in regard to the coloured races in those Colonies everything depended on the Governors; but there had been instances in which Governors who had done their duty by the subject-races had not fared well; and, in other cases, by conniving at the oppression of those races, Governors had earned popularity with the ruling classes and enhanced the success of their official careers. The great abuses that were practised in the Mauritius and other Colonies were matters of fact, which had been placed on record by Royal Commissions. Evil effects were produced on the coolie emi- 906 grants into the Colony of Grenada, owing to the way in which they were treated by the managers of the estates there.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, his attention had been called to the fact that the hon. Member had given Notice on this subject of an Amendment to a Motion which was fixed for the 15th of July. The hon. Member was out of Order in anticipating the discussion on that day.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLsaid, the hon. Member for Longford had given Notice on this subject of a Motion which was fixed for a day some weeks ago. To that Motion he (Sir George Campbell) put down an Amendment. The Motion was not moved on the day fixed for it, and the Amendment had been carried forward by the Clerk as a separate Motion until tonight.
§ MR. SPEAKERrepeated that the hon. Member having given Notice of an Amendment to a Motion which the House had decided to hear on the 15th of July, he was out of Order in discussing the subject now.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLventured to ask if Mr. Speaker had quite understood what he (Sir George Campbell) had stated. [" Order ! "]
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, he clearly understood the hon. Member's point, and it did not make any difference.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLasked, whether he was to understand that he was not at liberty to proceed with the Notice of Motion which he now had on the Paper?
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, he had already stated that any debate on this matter would be irregular.