THE MAURITIUS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 38, 3 February 1864, Page 3

THE MAURITIUS.

(From tne Overland Commercial Gazette.) Our postal service is' in a state of uncertainty. Our term of contract is drawing to a close, and if Reunion withdraws, as she threatens to do, we shall have to pay something more than we pay at present (£30,000 a year). We have also engaged to give £3000 for a service between this island and the Cape. As regards the overland service, whatever arrangements are i made, we ought to have vessels that can perform the voyage to and from Suez in the contract time. The Norna was twenty days from Suez instead of eighteen, with very favorable weather. Our bankruptcy laws are far from perfect, and the want of a special bankruptcy commissioner is the cause of much delay highly prejudicial to all concerned. A new Draft of Ordinance has been published, which proposes certain changes to simplify proceedings and diminish delays, but the appointment of a special commissioner wholly charged with cases of insolvency and bankruptcy is not conceded. The satisfactory promptitude with which the Bench as afc present constituted have despatched the business of the Supreme and the Bankruptcy Court, renders the necessity of appointing a commissioner of the Bankruptcy Court less urgent. The Chief Judge is now ably seconded by the Hon. G-. Colin, second judge, and the Hon. L. Arnaud, acting third judge, but we regret to learn that the latter I retires from the bench on the 15th inst., to resume his practice at the bar, Our revenue promises to realise our expectations, and to, surpass- the estimates of the G-avemment financial officers. It is, therefore, probable that the Customs duty on grain, &c, lately established, will not be required to the extent proposed. The Chamber of Agriculture, in their address to the Governor, allude at some length to the question of immigration. The position, of the colony in this respect is somewhat critical. Our labouring population is large, and if a large portion worked at agricul* tiire, there would be no want of labour ; but it cannot be expected, &or was it ever supposed, that upwards of 200,000 - men, -women, and children, could be introduced into a eoldn^, aiid Kojit iii a'stato of : servitude, without? power, to advance, "Wh<m the term of engagement (five years) of a labourer is completed, he has gained his right of "citizenship, The sain©' laws ; regulate and control hi|, freedom as "the rest of the 'cU mxmßfr Mere iriijf Obstacle' tio his adv&Mhg himself ( in the - scale of society ;' M can with the results Oi 1 his industry acquire property, and, this hfts Haen ? done on a larger scale iliM ;';,ii geiii^Jilly Imagined, The valtt<i of property possessed- by. the kimtgirt ? that arrived Imh* wilfr nothing but the clothes on fc^sjiv ])ftojs given ; : them; an.

-1 dembie,'tbut very difficult to estimate ';* With, accuracj. They possess, land in c different parts of the island; the c thousand spring-carts licensed for s hire belong to them; they have cartf ing establishments for the transport s of sugar and other goods ; they have' * shops in every part of the, colony ; they p supply the town with firewood, charcoal, , innk, and vegetables; , and have thus t- stimulated the Creoles they have replaced to rise higher in the social scale. p There yet remains among this popula- [ tion, who have finished what -is ■■' called i their industrial residence, a large nu'm- ' her who are disposed to continue to [ work on the estates; (The danger .to [ be apprehended, however, and which is ; already felt, is, that when the stream of immigration is. stayed, , they, will ■ imp Qs_e ; conditions on the planter which are too onerous for him to'Wsupport. The obstacles thrown in the way of emigration to this colony in India are worth attention on this account. Very few Indian emigrants arrive None have been' received since the date of our last Overland, and as nearly thirty thousand : immigrants (20,932 males, and 9,014 females) arrived in 1858, the whole of them, after a slight deduction for mortality, and departures, are now complete masters of their time and industry, and can ask what they choose • for both. A necessary check to this is a regular introduction of a certain number of new immigrants. In this we are frustrated, notwithstanding the heavy expense incurred to keep up expensive establishments in Calcutta and Madras, and the agricultural community rely on Sir H. Barkly for the removal of the impediments now placed in the way to prevent immigrants from leaving. It must not be supposed that our production has kept pace with the increasicg number of labourers introduced, as will be seen from the following figures : —

With an augmentation of 100,000 immigrants, we do not produce so much in value as we did six, seven and eight years ago. There has been some increase in production, and great improvement in manufacture ; but neither one nor the other has prevented the value from declining. We allude to nothing but sugar, as we export very little else. The value of the rum exported last year was only £25,000. To keep up the figure of our production, we require the introduction of more immigrants. Bat we should not be disposed to insist on a continual introduction if oar police was not placed on the prssent effectual footing, so as to enforce the observance of our laws, and repress crime among a population n'oi" yet formed to civilised life, but in the possession of the freedom of civilised communities. (From the Calcutta Englishman.} From Mauritius papers just to hand, we see that the Government of the island have decreed that, from the Ist January, duties will be levied on rice, wheat, flour, &c. , all primary necessaries of existence, and hitherto admitted duty free. The whole of the people have protested against this arbitrary measure, but without the least effect. What renders the act more obnoxious in their eye, is the fact th^t the resources of the island have decreased very much of late, and that at present there is upwards of £115,000 of reserve funds I in the hands of the authorities.

T?o*jv^.,t„r. Number ot iiuLsported. v , ,_ „ a nugrantsintbe o' „ Value or bugai- ,-, p . , bugar tj; „„, , a Colony at end ° Jix ported. . _ -* r 1 or each Year. Tons. £ 1858 117,000 2,486.000 134,000 1557 115,000 3,052,000 142,000 1858 118,000 2.679,000 164,000 1859 124.000 2,814.494 202,000 1860 130,000 2.810,992 211.000 1861 110,000 2,284,998 224,000 1862 133,000 2,451.061 229,000