Colonies

3rd Earl Grey; Guiana Substantial Autograph Letter Signed "Grey" to Thomas Baring who has requested advice on the latter's eventual petition 3 July 1857 of the immigration of free labour as opposed to slaves as in the USA into Guiana.

23456 — Howick 25 June 1857. Six pages 12mo good condition. He finds it difficult to give advice because of his "being so imperfectly informed as to the present state of the question of immigration into Guiana. - It is obvious that the course which ought to be taken must depend upon whether the Colonists have or have not reason to complain of the conduct of the Government.- If they have & if any facilities for obtaining labour which might be granted to them have been with-held then a discussion would seem to be desirable & in the present word obscured of the session & if parties in the House of Commons I do not see how you could ruin a discussion except by asking a question & making a statement in explanation of it going into Committee of Supply. But if the Govt as I think it most likely sincerely desire to do all that can properly be done to encourage immigartion & only refuse to consent to measures to which there is a just objectn it would seem to me doubtful whether there would be any advantage in bringing on a discussion or whether it would be quite right to do so. - For this reason if I had remained in town & had had words deleted to present the petition to the House of Lords I would in the first instance have called upon the gentlemen connected with the colony in this country for a clear explanation of what they want & of the grounds on which they think the government ought to do more for them & I w-ould have endeavoured to satisfy myself whether they are right or wrong in order that in presenting the petition I might express the opinion I had formed which you know is allowed in the House of Lords. .". Howick, 25 June 1857 unknown