Enclosure 1, in No. 1. TOBAGO. Sir, Government House, Tobago, Encl. 1, in No. 1. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's Despatch, covering copy of a Despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, communicating the steps he had taken to promote the immigration of captured Africans to the West India Colonies, and requesting to be furnished with certain particulars of information in the event of the Colony of Tobago desiring to share in the chance of the benefits anticipated from such immigration. 2. There cannot exist any doubt as to the necessity of an augmentation of the labouring population of this Island, and that such is the opinion generally entertained will sufficiently appear from the annexed copy of a series of Resolutions passed by the Elective Legislative Sub-Enclosure 1. Assembly on the 16th instant, when a copy of the Secretary of State's Despatch was laid before the House. 3. Your Excellency will perceive that, so desirous are those interested in the Island to participate in the benefits of an immigration the most suited to these Colonies, that, as the representatives of the people, they have undertaken to guarantee and provide for the repayment to the Imperial Treasury the whole cost attending the introduction into Tobago of a large number of captured Africans. 4. Should this proposal be favourably received by Her Majesty's Government, I have little doubt, viewing the present financial state of the Colony, that the Assembly will be perfectly able to make good its pledge, and considering that Tobago, owing to untoward circumstances, received only one-fourth of the number of African immigrants allotted to the other Windward Islands, I would respectfully and earnestly urge the priority of the claims of this Colony over those of the neighbouring Islands. 5. I beg to annex copies of the Immigration Acts in force in this Island, and under the provisions of which the African immigrants introduced in 1851 were located in the Island. 6. These Acts, I conceive, are capable of being amended in some respects without interfering, however, in any way, with the principles already recognised, and the successful application of which is abundantly testified in the prosperous and greatly improved condition of the African immigrants of 1851, many of whom are now married and have become proprietors of small freeholds, most of them being actively engaged in the cultivation and manufacture of the staple produce of the Island, either as métayeis or as day-labourers on the estates. 7. I beg to annex a return, showing the rate of labourers' wages, and other particulars of Sub-Enclosure 2. information in respect to this Island, as an advantageous settlement for immigrants. His Excellency Governor Hincks, Barbados. I have, &c. Lieutenant Governor. Sub-Enclosure 1. RESOLUTIONS passed by the House of General Assembly this 10th day of April 1858. Resolved, That the intimation made in the Secretary of State's Despatch of the steps taken to promote the immigration of captured Africans to the West India Colonies, has been received with much satisfaction. That at least 2,000 of such immigrants could be received and located in this Island to the mutual advantage of the immigrants and their employers. That owing to the small number of this class of immigrants allotted to Tobago in 1851, compared with the numbers introduced into the other Windward Islands, the claims of this Colony for a fair proportion of the expected immigrants merit favourable consideration. That although it would appear to be the intention of Her Majesty's Government to provide from Imperial funds for the cost of the introduction into these Islands of captured Africans, yet so urgent is the necessity of augmenting the labouring population of this Island by means of immigration, that this House is prepared to guarantee and make good to the Imperial Government all costs and charges attendant on the conveyance and introduction into this Island of such captured Africans, not exceeding in the whole 2,000. Sub-Enclosure 1. TOBAGO. Sub-Enclosure Sub-Enclosure 2. TOBAGO. TABLE of Value of Imports, Exports, Rate of Wages, Attendance at Schools and Churches, compiled from Returns for the Blue Book for 1857; Island of Tobago. Remarks.-Métaire cultivation is carried on to a great extent in this Colony, to the great advantage of the labourers. Land is to be had in abundance and easy terms. Attendance at Schools, centessimal proportion to population ditto 16 98/00. 39 73/00. Windward Islands, Barbados,. 30 April 1858. Sir, I HAVE received your despatch of the 23d instant on the subject of African immigration to Tobago, and should have transmitted a copy of it, together with its enclosures, without delay, to the Secretary of State, but that I apprehended danger of misconception on a most important point, viz., the current rate of wages which the immigrant labourer will be entitled to receive. 2. I do not understand it to be the intention of Her Majesty's Government to select particular Colonies for the captured Africans, and to compel them to emigrate there. I infer from the Secretary of State's Despatch that the immigrants will be furnished with every possible information to enable them to make choice for themselves, and if I am correct in my inference, it must be obvious that the current rate of wages in each Colony will be precisely the kind of information that will be most interesting to the immigrants, and moreover that, regarding which there should be no misunderstanding, as any erroneous informa tion on this point would lead to serious discontent. 3. You state the wages in Tobago to be from 8d. to 1s. 4 d. per day. According to the classes of labourers in Barbados, it would be inferred from such a statement that the wages of children were 8 d., women 1s., and able-bodied men 1 s. 4 d. My impression is that the ordinary wages given are 8 d. per day to men and women capable of performing the ordinary tasks. 4. I think that it would be desirable that you should obtain assurances from the leading planters that they are prepared to give 1s. 4d. per day to the imported labourers, or such other rate as they may deem it expedient to offer, and that you should state whether a house and provision-grounds would be granted in addition, and if not furnished gratuitously, on what terms. His Excellency I have, &c. (signed) F. Hincks. (No. 31.) Sir, TOBAGO. Enclosure 3, in No. 1. Encl. 3, in No. 1. Government House, Tobago, I AM in possession of your Excellency's Despatch, No. 128, 30th April last, desiring some explanations in regard to the rate of labourers' wages in this Colony, statedin my Despatch on Africa.. immigration to range from 8 d. to 1s. 4d. per diem. 2. In reply, I beg to observe that the ordinary current labourer's wages, both men and women, when employed in field work, may be computed at 8d. to 10 d. per diem, with house and provision-grounds, free to such as desire them; and this, I presume, would be the scale of remuneration allowed to African immigrants on the completion of their first six months' residence. 3. In most instances, however, a certain task or job-say that of making 100 cane holesis reckoned as a day's work, and paid for accordingly. An able-bodied labourer can easily perform two such tasks in a day, and thereby earn double wages; but there are few who do so, and I should think the untutored African would not accomplish the double task in an efficient manner. When employed in the process of manufacture, some small addition is generally made to the day's wages. 4. It is not unusual, and I have known many instances where 1s. and 1s. 4d. has been paid for a full day's labour, and I have been told of cases where even this rate has been exceeded; and taking everything into consideration, I am disposed to say that an industrious labourer can earn here the full average rate of wages given in any of these Colonies. 5. Moreover, the rate of wages to be given to African immigrants on their introduction into the Colony, if calculated on a scale proportionate to their efficiency as agricultural labourers, would obviously be less than that paid to the intelligent and disciplined creole, and this has been estimated in some Islands at a dim nution of from one third to one half of the value of the daily wages of the native labourer. No doubt this disparity gradually disappears as the African becomes more tractable and expert in the use of the ordinary implements of husbandry; but whilst in this state of transition, his labour can by no means be taken to be so productive as that of the resident peasantry. 6. I do not suppose, however, that the mere question of wages will be made to predominate over other and simultaneous advantages to be attained by the allocation of the African immigrants in certain of the Colonies. 7. From the experience I have had of this class of immigrants, I know that they are totally incapable, in the first instance, of judging of those things themselves: they know little or nothing of the value of money, their ideas being limited to simple primitive barter; neither can they be expected to be able to appreciate the civilising influences of education and religion, nor the means for the attainment of these ends. 8. Hence I conceive it will be necessary for others to judge for them; and no doubt it will form part of the duty of the Government, in giving instructions for the distribution of the captured Africans, to impress upon their agents the importance of taking into consideration the collateral advantages offered by the respective Colonies, together with the direct benefits of fair money wages. 9. The instruction and religious teaching of the benighted African immigrant has been strongly urged and imposed as an essential condition in regard to the location of liberated Africans in the West Indies, and in no one of these Islands is there, compared with its populatian, greater facilities afforded, or more ample means provided for such a purpose, than in this Island of Tobago. 10. The number of public schools in this Colony, and the general attendance of pupils far exceeds the proportion in the sister Colonies, and through the instrumentality of the zealous missionaries long established in this Island, the means of educating the people are being multiplied constantly; aided by free grants of land for school-houses, and liberal endowments by the landed prop ietors, all for the benefit of the labouring population. 11. On the completion of their industrial residence, the African immigrants will have before them a wide held for their independent industry, and would, no doubt, soon follow in the footsteps of their predecessors of 1851, who have largely availed themselves of the moral and physical advantages attendant upon their settlemen in Tobago. 12. To avoid the possibility of my former statement in respect to wages being misunderstood, I would respectfully request that a copy of this communication may be transmitted to the Secretary of State along with my previous Despatch on the same subject. His Excellency Governor Hincks, Barbados. I have, &c. (signed) J. V. Drusdale, TOBAGO. No. 2. Governor Hincks to the Right Hon. COPY of a DESPATCH from Governor Hincks to the Right Honourable the Lord Stanley, M. P. 14 June 1858. • Page 109. Enclosure, No. 36. 5 June 1858. Lord Stanley, M.P. Windward Islands, Barbados, 14 June 1858. (Received, 19 July 1858.) My Lord, (Answered, No. 9, 14 August 1858, p. 115.) BEGGING reference to my Despatch of the 26th of May last, I have now the honour to transmit to your Lordship the copy of a Despatch from the Lieutenant Governor of Tobago, enclosing copy of three resolutions adopted by the Legislative Council of this Colony on the subject of African immigration. Enclosure in No. 2. (No. 36.) Enclosure in No. 2. I have, &c. (signed) F. Hincks. Sub-Enclosure. Government House, Tobago, 5 June 1858. Sir, RESOLUTIONS passed by the House of Legislative Council, this 21st day of May 1858. Resolved, 1. That feeling impressed with the expediency and necessity of immigration as a means of restoring the agricultural prosperity of the Island; this House learns with much satisfaction that steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, for the promotion of so important an object. 2. That this House is willing and ready to co-operate in any measure which may be considered necessary for the due care and supervision of such of the African immigrants, proposed to be sent to the se Colonies, as may be allotted to this Island, and this House further pledges itself to concur in any grant of money that may be appropriated for the purpose of defraying the cost of the introduction of such immigrants. 3. That a copy of these Resolutions be transmitted through the Honcurable the President to his Excelleney the Lieutenant Governor. (A true copy.) (signed) Council Chamber, 21 May 1858. Edw. M. Sanderson, Clerk of Legislative Council. Despatches from the Secretary of State. - No. 1. TOBAGO. (No. 69.) COPY of a DESPATCH from the Right Honourable H. Labouchere, M.P. Sir, No. 1. Right Hon. H. Labouchere, M. P., to Governor Hincks. 15 February 1858. circumstances. I enclose the copy of an agreement which they have accordingly Vide page 139 of concluded with Messrs. Hyde, Hodge, & Co. I have instructed the Governor of Sierra Leone to use his best endeavours to fill the ships furnished under this agreement with such captured Africans as may consent to emigrate. It is, of course, impossible to predict the continuance of these captures, or the degree to which the Africans may avail themselves of the opportunity offered them; but I think it desirable to inform you of the steps which I have taken to secure as far as possible to the West Indies the benefits derivable from the operations of Her Majesty's cruisers. If the Colony of Tobago desires to share in the chance of these benefits, I should wish you to forward to me such a statement of the wages and other advantages enjoyed by labourers in that Colony as I may communicate to the Governor of Sierra Leone. If the colonists also desire to take advantage of the 16th Article of the Agreement, it will be necessary to make proper provision for paying the proposed freight of 5 l. per adult on all emigrants from Sierra Leone, other than captured Africans, and a fee of a dollar per adult to the Emigration Agent who will embark them. I have instructed the Governor of Sierra Leone to explain to the emigrants of both classes (as far as possible) that they must be prepared on their arrival to enter into contracts of service to last for three years, or (in the case of children) till the age of eighteen; of course, however, it will not be competent for the Government to impose or sanction such contracts, except in pursuance of some law which is in force in the Colony on the arrival of the immigrants. I draw your attention to this point in order that the Legislature may make such provision, in accordance with the above instructions, as they may consider to be, under the existing circumstances, required. I have, &c. Part I. P. S.-You will find in the accompanying Parliamentary Paper the former Parl. Pap. No. 603 Instruction to the Immigration Agent at Sierra Leone, and various documents of 1850. throwing light on this service. No. 2. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Honourable Sir E. B. Lytton, Bart. M.P. Right Hon. to Governor Hincks. Sir, Downing-street, 14 August 1858. I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch of the 14th June, Tobago, No. 23,* with a Despatch from Lieutenant Governor Drysdale, forwarding copy of three Resolutions adopted by the Legislative Council of that island on the subject of African immigration. I have, &c. (signed) Sir E. B. Lytton, 14 August 1858. Page 114. |