under indenture, and thus his whole life would be spent in bondage. Moreover, during the 10 years the indentured Indian would be entirely neglecting his family, should he have any. And a family man will not be able to save even £50. Your Petitioners know several instances of indentured Indians with families having saved nothing.
As to the 2nd Clause, about the £3 licence, your Petitioners submit that it is calculated to create wide discontent and oppression. Why one class of Her Majesty’s subjects, and this the most useful to the Colony, should be singled out for such taxation, it is, in the humble opinion of your Petitioners, difficult to understand.
Your Petitioners most respectfully venture to submit that it is not in accordance with the principles of simple justice and equity to make a man pay heavily for being allowed to remain free in the Colony after he has already lived under bondage for 10 years.
The fact that the clauses will apply only to those Indians who would come to the Colony after the Bill has become law, and that they would know the terms under which they may come, does not free the clauses from the objections sought to be raised against them. For both the contracting parties, your Petitioners submit, will not have the same freedom of action. An Indian hard-pressed by pangs of poverty and finding it impossible to support his family can scarcely be called a free agent when he signs the contract of indenture. Men have been known to consent to do far worse things in order to be free from immediately pressing difficulties. Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly hope and pray that the clauses above referred to will not meet with the approval of this Honourable House, and for this act of justice and mercy, your Petitioners shall for ever pray, etc., etc.
ABDULLA HAJI ADAM
AND SEVERAL OTHER INDIANS
From a photostat of a printed copy : S.N. 435
- 16↑ The Petition was published in The Natal Mercury, 26-6-1895.
- 17↑ The Bill which was introduced in the Natal Council on June 25 had its second reading the next day and was passed.
- 18↑ Sir Henry Binns (1837-99); Premier of Natal 1897
Letter to Pherozeshah Mehta (9-8-1895)
CENTRAL WEST STREET,
DURBAN,
August 9, 1895
THE HON’BLE PHEROZESHAH MEHTA
M.R.C. & C. & C.
BOMBAY
SIR,
By direction of the Indian community I beg to send by registered book [-post] four copies of the petitions to Home Government[19] and the Indian Government[20] regarding the Immigration Law Amendment Bill passed by the Natal Parliament. I have to request you to extend your active sympathy to the Indians in South Africa.
I am,
Yours faithfully,
M. K. GANDHI
From the original: Pherozeshah Mehta Papers. Courtesy: Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
- 19↑ Memori
no match
al to J. Chamberlan, 11-8-1895
- 20↑ Memorial to Lord Elgin”, 11-8-1895
Memorial to J. Chamberlain (11-8-1895)
Memorial to Lord Elgin (11-8-1895)
[DURBAN,
August 11, 1895]
TO
VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN COUNCIL,
CALCUTTA
THE MEMORIAL OF THE UNDERSIGNED
INDIANS IN THE COLONY OF NATAL
HUMBLY SHEWETH THAT:
Your Memorialists, who are Her Majesty’s Indian subjects, crave leave to draw Your Excellency’s attention to the humble
