Page:An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans.djvu/108

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POSSIBILITY OF SAFE EMANCIPATION.

to about six hundred, the free black and colored to nine hundred. In 1822, it appears that there were seventeen white and two colored paupers.

"Demerara.—The free black and colored population, it is supposed, are twice the number of the whites. The average number of white pensioners on the poor fund appears to be fiftyone, that of colored pensioners twentysix. In occasional relief, the white paupers receive about three times as much as the colored.

"Dominica.—The white population is estimated at about nine hundred; the free black and colored population was ascertained, in 1825, to amount to three thousand one hundred and twentytwo. During the five years ending in November, 1825, thirty of the former class had received relief from the poor fund, and only ten of the latter, making the proportion of more than nine white paupers to one colored one in tha same number of persons.

"Jamaica is supposed to contain twenty thousand whites, and double that number of free black and colored persons. The returns of paupers from the parishes which have sent returns, exhibits the average number of white paupers to be two hundred and ninetyfive, of black and colored paupers, one hundred and fortyeight; the proportion of white paupers to those of the other class, according to the whole population, being as four to one.

"Nevis.—The white population is estimated at about eight hundred, the free black and colored at about eighteen hundred. The number of white paupers receiving relief is stated to be twentyfive; that of the other class, two; being in the proportion of twentyeight to one.

"St Christophers.—The average number of white paupers appears to be one hundred and fifteen; that of the other class, fourteen; although there is no doubt that the population of the latter class greatly outnumbers that of the former.

"Tortola.—In 1825 the free black and colored population amounted to six hundred and seven. The whites are estimated at about three hundred. The number of