358
JAMAICA.
sufficiently provided with grounds, or, ' where there are no grounds, with ample provisions,' as required by the 11th section. The l/th section compels every owner to provide infirm and disabled negros, with sufficient clothing and wholesome necessaries of life." Such are the vague and valueless provisions, which have been accepted by the British Government, in satisfaction of the stipulations of the Imperial Act.' The Ex-Attorney General continues,—"The 8th sec tion of the Act in Aid of the Abolition Act, passed the 2nd of July last, has no clause respecting allowances to the apprentices, except the 8th, relative to sick ap prentices, who under it, are to have the same medical care and attention, as has heretofore been customary. It is clear therefore, that by the Slave Act, an owner is not obliged to give any of the above allowances, but merely to provide sufficient grounds, fit for the culti vation of provisions." It will now be asked, which of these opposite opinions prevailed on a question, affect ing so nearly the interests and welfare of the appren tices ? We regret to say, that the Government did not enforce that of its own responsible legal adviser ; and that the extracts, we have given from the opinion of his rival, have decided the condition of the apprentices with regard to maintenance, in fact as well as in law. The negros have either been generally deprived of these allowances, now called with bitter truth, " the indul gences of slavery;" or their partial continuance has been made the pretext of extorting a far more than equivalent value in extra labor, over and above that, which the apprentices are required by law to perform. These indulgences, it must be remarked, were not in dulgences under the former system ; they were granted by the master for his own interest's sake, as necessary