Correspondence
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CHINA. No.2 (1874). CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING THE MACAO COOLIE TRADE. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty . 1874. LONDON, PRINTED Br HARUISON AND SONS. [0.-908.1 Price2d. LIST OF PAPERS. No. Page 1. Mr. Holland to Mr. Hammond •• October 22, 1873 1 Four Inclosures. 2 Consul Sir B. Robertson to Mr. Hammond September 16, - - 3 Three Inclosures. 3 Mr . Meade to Lord Tenterden •• November 3,-- 4 Three Inclosures. 't. Lord Tent.erden to Mr. Herbert . November 6, -- 6 5. Lord Tenterden to Mr. Herbert. November 11, -- 6 6. Mr . Herbert to Lord Tenterden • November 20,-- 7 Two'Inclosures. 7. Earl Granville to Consul Sir B. Robertson November 26, - -, 7 8. Mr. Wade to Earl Granville ' September 11, -- 8 One Inclosure. 9. Mr . Wade to Earl Granville' •• September 19, -- 9 Two Inclosures. 10. Lord Tenterden to Mr. Herbert • December 2, - - 10 11. !If r. Herbert to Lord Tenterden • December 13, - - 10 Two Inclosures. 12. , Consul Sir B. Robertson to Lord Tenterden (Telegraphic) December 30, - - 11 13. Sir C. A. Murray to Earl Granville December 30, -- 12 , One Inclosure. 14. Earl'Granville to Sir C. A. Murray January 19, J874 12 Correspondence respecting the Macao Coolie Trade. No. I. Mr. Holland to Mr. Hammond.-(Received October 23.) Sir; Downing Street, October 22, 1873. I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before Earl Granville, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, reporting the action taken with regardto vessels engaged in the Macao coolie trade, which were in the waters of the Colony at the time of the coming into force of the Colonial Ordinance No. ,5 of 1873• .The circumstances which led to the passing of this Ordinance are fully detailed in the paper, No. 829, presented to both Houses of Parliament in July last. I am to state that, with Lord Granville's concurrence, Lord Kimberley. proposes to approve Sir A. Kennedy's proceedings. I am, &c. (Signed) H. T. HOLLAND. Inclosure I in No.1. .Governor Sir A . E. Ke~nedy to the Earl of Kimberley. My Lord, Government House, Hong Kong, AUJust 29, 1873. ON the 22nd instant I received your Lordship's despatch of 7th July, conveying Her Majesty's Gracious confirmation and allowance of the Foreign Emigrant Ships Ordinance No.5 of 1873. 2. Immediately.on receipt of this despatch I directed notice to be given to the owners or agents and masters of the vessels engaged in the Macao coolie trade, which were lying in the waters of the colony for repairs, &c. 3. These vessels were ~ follows :- Vessel. Flag. Agents. Glens annox, steam-ship Italian •• • • Jardine, Matheson, and Co. Nelusko, steam-ship Belgian Pustau and Co. Lo uisa Canevaro • • .. Peruvian Ditto. Columhia .. Ditto .. Ditto. Cecilia .. • • Portuguese Remed ios and Co. Agustinha . Peruvian •• Ditto . Ysahel . • .. Ditto .. A. Eimhcke• 4. Five of these cleared'at once and left for Macao or Whampoa. Of the remainder. I allowed a few days in each case, so that they might be removed from theharbour without danger, though they might not be in a fit state to make a long voyage. , 5. At the time I am writing there is but one vessel remaining-the "Columbia," and she has been permitted to stay for seven days from the .date of notice. 6. In the case of the " Glensannox," she overstayed the time allowed to her, and legal proceedings were being taken when she cleared and quitted the jurisdiction of the Colony. , 7. I have received, as your Lordship might expect, protests from the agents of these coolie shies as to my action, but I have not felt justified in relaxing my instructions, that [199J B 2 2 each of these vessels should depart as soon as my inquiries enabled me to decide what was in each case sufficient to allow of their being removed, by tug or otherwise, from the harbour. 8. It is unnecessary to trouble your' Lordship with all the correspondence which has passed, as it has been of the same tenour as the letters (copies inclosed) which I have received from, and caused to be sent to. the Peruvian Consul. I have, &c. (Signed) , A. E. KENNEDY. Iaolosure 2 in No.'). Mr. Eimbcke to Mr. Smith. Peruvian Consulate, Hong Hong, 23, Queen's Road, ·Central. Sir, [No date.] . .THE captain of the Peruvian ship" Columbia," now in this harbour, has made an official communication to me as his Consul, that the Government of this Colony insists upon the said vessel leaving this harbour. · I shall feel ohliged by your letting me know in writing, with as little delay as possible, what steps are required to be taken by the said captain, in order that the said vessel, now being under repairs in this harbour, may be allowed to put his vessel in a fit state to be able to proceed to sea. I have, &c. (Signed) A. ETMBCKE, Consulfor Peru. Inclosure 3 in No. 1. , Mr. Eimbcke to Mr. Smith. Sir, Peruvian Consulate, Hong Kong, August 28, 1873. THE captain of the Peruvian ship "Luisa Canevaro," having made just now an official intimation to me as his Consul that .the Government of this Colony insists upon his leaving the harbour, I beg you will ·be good enough to let me know, with as little delay as possible, which steps are required to be taken that the said vessel, the " Luisa Canevaro," may be allowed to complete the repairs she has to do in order to enable her to be fit to go to sea. I have, &c. (Signed) A.EIMBCKE, Consulfor Peru. Inclosure 4 in No.1. Mr. Smith to Mr. Eimbcke.: Sir, Colonial Secretary's Office, Hong Kong, August 28, 1873. IN reply to your letter, without date, which has just been received, I have the honour to inform you that the Government require the Peruvian ship "Colombia" to leave the waters of the colony within seven days from the 23rd instant, the day on which notice of the Queen's confirmation of Ordinance No.5 of 1873, was notified to the; Captain and others concerned. This time has been allowed to the" Colombia" because his Excellency the Governor has reason to know that only within that period can the vessel be made ready for being removed from the jurisdiction of the Colony. You are aware that. the Ordinance referred to was passed on the 6th May last, and its operation was only delayed until Her Majesty's confirmation of it had been proclaimed in Hongkong. Further, the views of the Queen's Government as to residents of Hong Kong par ticipating in, or profiting by, the Macao Coolie Trade, have been before the community for'many months . Thus, as regards the" Columbia," and other vessels engaged in the same trade, which have come into this port to repair and fit out since the passing of the above quoted Ordinance, in defiance of the expressed intention of the local, as well as the home authorities, to prevent this 'Colony from being utilized on behalf of the Macao s CoolieTrade, his Excellency the Governor declines to forward or promote the object their owner or Agents have in view, and will not sanction their making this port the place in which they may effect their repairs and complete their equipment. · , Ifthis vessel has to leave the harbour in a state unfit to make a long voyage, the responsibility rests with those who brought her here and . entered into contraote, well knowing of the legislation to which lhave already drawn your attention. The Government will allow only such time for repair as will fit the vessel to be removed by tug or otherwise out of the waters of the Colony, and the period specified is considered ample for the purpose. I have, &0. (Signed) CECIL C. SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary. P.S.-Since writing the above, your letter of this day's date regarding the" Luisa. Canevaro," has reached me. To this vessel his Excellency has allowedfive clear days from ,the 23rd instant, and the remarks which I have made with reference to the " Columbia," apply equally to the" Luisa Canevaro." C. C. S. No.2. Consul Sir B. Robertson to Mr. Hammond.:....(Received October 29.) Sir, Canton, September 17, 1873. J HAVE the honour to inclose copy of a despatch with its inclosures, which J have addressed to Her Majesty's Minister at Pekin, reporting the expulsion of the Macao coolie vessels from the anchorage at this port. I have, &c. (Signed) B. ROBERTSON. Inclosure I in No.2. Consul Sir B. Robertson to Mr. Wade. Sir, ' Canton, September 16, 1873. I HAVE the honour to inclose, for your information, translation of a despatch I have received from the Viceroy, with reference to the repulsion from this river of a number of Macao coolie ships 'which had anchored there after being evicted from the harbour of Hong Kong, under an Ordinance lately passed and confirmed. So far back as July last, I had informed the Viceroy that such Ordinance would shortly become law, and as one or two of these vessels had already, and in anticipation of it, I believed, come up the river to the Whampoa anchorage, their being allowed to find refuge in Chinese territory, when their avocation was a breach of Chinese law, would be an anomaly I would find difficult to explain to my Government. His Excellency seemed , doubtful as to what he could do in' the matter, on the ground that it was not easy to distinguish a coolie from a trading ship, but I suggested that the fittings of a vessel would determine that at once, and he might direct Mr.