§ MR. SUMMERBELL (Sunderland)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention bas been called to a resolution passed at a public meeting at Port-of-Spain, in October last, to the effect that, having regard to the sufferings of the middle and lower classes of this island, and the readiness of the West Indians to labour for a reasonable wage, as is evident by their recent departure to the Isthmus of Panama, in view also of the cane-farming industry being presently sufficiently well established in this island, the Trinidad Working Men's Association in public meeting assembled protested against any further appropriation of £70,000 per annum of public money to continue the importation of East Indian indentured immigrants to this Colony to compete with the West Indian labourer, and that such practice 1268 has tended not only to add to the Colony's commercial depression in its contribution to the impoverishment of the Colony and to be an obstacle to the relief of taxation, but was a standing menace to public peace and property in the island; and, if so, whether he is prepared to give instructions for an inquiry into the whole of the circumstances complained of to be held, and a Report presented thereon.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe attention of the Secretary of State has been drawn to the resolution in question, but he cannot admit that it accurately sets out the facts relating to East Indian immigration. It is not the case that £70,000 of public money are annually applied to the introduction of immigrants. The East Indian immigrants (the majority of whom remain in the Colony after serving their indenture) and their descendants form a large and valuable element in the population of Trinidad; they contribute most materially to the revenue of the Colony and are in no way a menace to public peace and property. The Secretary of State is informed by the Governor that such distress as now exists in Trinidad is not among the agricultural labourers, and is not, therefore, the result of East India immigration. Lord Elgin sees no reason for ordering an inquiry to be held into the matter. The proposals which have been submitted by the Governor with a view to mitigating such distress as exists have been approved.