Company of Barcelona having a monopoly of the island's commerce,. or which might affect the contract executed with Miguel de Uriarte and his partners relating to negroes to be brought to the island of Porto Rico. By a royal cedula of November 8, 1765, extended to the islands of Cuba, Santo Domingo, Porto Rico, Marguerite, and Trinidad, the King ordered the abolition of the taxes and duties which were being paid in the said islands for the introduction of negro slaves, there being substituted therefor a moderate capitation tax, to be paid annually by persons engaged in the importation of slaves. This royal cedula contained other provisions which were beneficial to agriculture according to the economic ideas then prevalent. The number of negro slaves in Porto Rico in 1765 and for a hundred years later was as follows: ୮ From 1862 to 1872 the number of slaves was gradually reduced, as appears by the census of that year, which gives the total black population of the island as 257,709, of which 31,635 were slaves. From these statistics it will be observed that the number of slaves increased rapidly to 1845 and steadily declined from that date. The decline and disappearance of slavery were due to the treaties made by Spain with England, the laws and decrees promulgated by the Government, the growing sentiment against it in all civilized countries, especially in England and the United States, and the corresponding watchfulness of British and American cruisers in West Indian waters. On the 22d of March, 1873, a law was passed by the Spanish revolutionary National Assembly abolishing slavery in Porto Rico forever, on condition that all freedmen should enter into contract for continued labor with their actual possessors, with other persons, or with the State, for a period of not less than three years. Three officials were appointed by the insular government to guard the interests of the slaves in all contracts. Articles 3, 4, 5, and 6 provided for the indemnification of the owners of slaves on the basis of such an appraisement as might be determined by a board of officials and slave owners, for which the law made provision. As in other Spanish possessions, the slaves of Porto Rico were humanely treated, as a rule, and granted many privileges not accorded to them by other governments. Among these was the privilege of purchasing their freedom, of which, as shown by statistics, many took advantage. As in Cuba, the black population has always been of great conse quence to the agricultural interests of the island, more especially in the cultivation of the sugar cane. This fact largely affected the terms of the law of 1873, and caused the insertion of the clause requiring service under contracts. To have freed the slaves without this condition might, and probably would, have resulted disastrously to the slaves as well as to the planters and others dependent on them for labor. CHINESE. The number of Chinese is so inconsiderable that no special account of them is necessary. Their presence in the island is entirely voluntary. SUMMARY OF PAST CENSUSES. In connection with the work of the present census, a summary has been made of all the past censuses of Porto Rico, of which the official figures were obtainable. This summary thus includes the census of 1860, that of 1877, and that of 1887. The details for the Spanish census of 1897 are not available. COLORED PORTO RICANS, BY NATIONALITY AND CIVIL STATUS. |