38

page 74

second column

that the Regulations, - framed as
they are, in the spirit of the
Duke of Newcastle's instructions, -
having practically the force of
law, and being substantially
identical with the Immigration
Regulations of Mauritius, - will
prove satisfactory to the Government
of British India.
4. It will be seen that
a delay of twelve months must
occur if it should be necessary
to wait for the passing of a
special Act of the Queensland
Parliament in the session of 1862.
Such a delay, as the present
crisis on the history of cotton
cultivation, would be fraught
with most inconvenient consequences,
especially to Mr. Bazley (M.P. for
Manchester,) and other English
Capitalists, who propose to grow
cotton in Queensland with the
aid of Asiatic labour. It would
in fact amount to a virtual
prohibition of the employment
of their enterprise, their money,
and their experience, in the
promising fileds of this Colony.
5. The new Colony of
Queensland, separated from that
of New South Wales in 1859, comprises
the whole of north-eastern Australia,
that is, a territory about three
times as large as England and
Wales. It has been proved already
by frequent and successful
experiments, that the soil and
climate are admirably adapted
to

page 75

second column

to the growth of the most valuable
species of the Cotton plant. In a
recent letter to me, Mr Bazley wrote:
"I believe in all sincerity that
"Queensland can grow the best quality
"of cotton in the whole worlkd, and
"in quantity beyond the present
"consumption of every country. The
"premium offered by your Legislature
"will, I hope, extend the cultivation."
He then proceeds to show that, with
a sufficient supply of Asiatic
labour, this Colony would be
enabled "in a very few years
"to raise two or three millions
"of bales of cotton per annum,
"of the yearly value of more
"than twenty-five millions Pounds
"Sterling. In the United States,
"one negro raised ten bales of
"Cotton, but, of course, children help
"to pick and gather."
6. I may mention that
Lord Ellenborough, when Governor General,
allowed Mr. Sanderman, a Gentleman
who has been resident for many
years in this part of Australia,
to export a small number of
Coolies from Calcutta. These men,
when their indentures had
expired, set up for themselves in
various capacities, and most of
them have been successful.
7. A ship has lately
been sent to Madras, with a view
to procure a number of Coolie
immigrants, by Mr Towns, an
Australian Merchant, well
known to Sir William Denison.
I