Information Sheet 6 THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDER LABOUR DEBATE IN IPSWICH SPECIAL POINTS OF The Polynesian Question and I N T E R E S T : the Sydney Petition, 1869 • The Polynesian Mr Henry Challinor, of Government Emigration “It must also be presumed Question and Ipswich, writes to the Agent must, before any that Mr. Lilley had not the Sydney editor of the Brisbane contract be completed, recently read the Petition, 1869 Courier with reference to explain the same fully to ordinance and regulations • Views for and the rejection of the Sydney the immigrant, with the aid in force in the Mauritius, or against petition against the (if necessary) of a duly he would not venture to reintroduction of Polynesian labour system qualified interpreter, and affirm that the license South Sea Island of Queensland:- take all proper precautions granted to special agents labour It would seem from the to prevent the immigrant for recruiting emigrants in tenor of some of the from being induced to India for that colony was speeches lately made in contract by any fraud, analogous to the license the Legislative Chambers, falsehood, or unfair means granted by the Queensland as well as from some of or representations, and Government for recruiting the recent articles in the that such labourers are Polynesians for this local press, that certain only permitted to emigrate colony. The former license inhabitants of Sydney to colonies where stringent restricts the operations of committed a grave offence regulations have been the special agent to a in petitioning, through enacted for their due particular presidency, and their Chief Magistrate, the protection during the term ‘he is under the direction Parliament of Queensland of their engagements. But and control of the on the subject of the it is far otherwise with the Emigration Agent as the Polynesian Labourers Act; Polynesian labourers. presidency for which he is but in rejecting that They are aliens, engaged licensed, who has full petition the Legislative in alien ports, and without power to suspend and Assembly appears to have any security worthy of the withdraw the license in entirely overlooked the name that they have not case of misconduct.’ important relations which been engaged under gross the petitioners sustained misrepresentations – for to be subject matter of any and every certificate in their petition. the term of Schedule 1, 31 Victoria, No. 47 may be “Had this colony, under utterly worthless, the the provisions of the 26 Queensland Government Vic., No. 5, been having no satisfactory inundated with Asiatic means of testing the labourers from British In- truthfulness of the dia, the citizens of Sydney contents of such would have no grounds for certificates, or the petitioning our Legislature genuineness of the on the matter, for the signatures, and even if it simple reason that all such had, it has no power to labourers are British sub- punish the persons jects – that they can only making false declarations be engaged in British or perpetrating forgeries. ports, where the P a g e 2 Information Sheet 6 The Polynesian Question and the Sydney Petition, 1869– continued The Queensland license is a subject. did what was much better and ‘roving commission,’ which no “Again, if the citizens of one wiser, and far more dignified, he one out of Queensland has power colony may not appeal to the inquired into the truth of the to cancel however much the Legislature of a sister colony on a allegations, and what was till license may set at nought all the subject which they believe affects more to his credit, when he as- provisions of the Act which the interests of our common certained that the allegations authorises the granting of the humanity, neither can the senior were well founded, he caused the said license. naval officer on that station have system complained of to be “Again, it will scarcely be denied any right to do so either. Yet we abandoned. that the kidnapping of find that Captain Luce had no “The kind offices of the British Polynesians has already hesitation in requesting Sir Government have often been occurred, and that it may occur George Bowen’ to cause him to brought to bear in behalf of again; neither will it be denied be supplied with certain oppressed races - the subjects of that such kidnapping has been information on the subject of the Sovereign States – for instance, followed by retaliation, or that the admission into Queensland of Jews and Christians in the massacre of innocent white men Island natives,’ in consequence Turkish Empire. Yet, if it had has been the result of kidnapping of certain unfavourable adopted the principles lately effected by other white men. statements he had received enunciated by many of the This circumstance renders the respecting it. leading members of the recruiting of Polynesians by “Further, if sister colonies may Queensland Legislature, her Queensland agents an not approach each other on the Majesty’s ambassadors in exceedingly broad question, for it subject of alien coloured labour, various parts of the world would affects not only the interests of then neither ought independent have held their peace, or have all the Australian colonies, but States to do so. Yet, when the run the risk of being snubbed for those of all white nations whose British Government were their impertinent interference, or subjects may trade with the convinced that the scheme for for ‘lecturing the Sovereigns to Pacific Islands. For, in avenging importing such coloured labour whom they had been accredited an injury, the incensed islanders into French colonies was likely to on matters concerning which they are guided more by the colour of degenerate into slavery, our did not know what they were the skin than by the description gracious Queen on that occasion talking about.’ of the flag suspended from the did not scruple to cause the “I do not think that anything was mizzen of the white man’s ship. subject to be brought under the gained by the rejection of the And, indeed, this indiscriminate notice of the Emperor of the Sydney petition; for if the revenge was one of the French; and we do not read that petitioners believe in their own considerations which induced the bristling up in the consciousness statements, they will assuredly British and French Governments of his own self-importance and memorialise the Home to use their influence with the detestation of slavery, he Government on the subject, and Peruvian Government to put a indignantly replied, ‘That if this in doing so the treatment they stop to the recruiting of scheme had failed to carry out have received at the hands of the Polynesians under its flag. the views of his Legislature, it Queensland Parliament will tend “A late Colonial Secretary is was certainly not his intention to materially to strengthen the reported to have said that if plant slavery in the colonies. Had cause they have undertaken to certain Sydney clergymen ‘had it attempted to bring about a plead. Neither can I conceive of taken the precaution to system of slavery, then her the Home Government, after the communicate with the Majesty might have been allowed steps it has previously taken to Government of the colony on the to lecture it, but as it had not, he suppress it in the case of Peru, subject, they might have saved was not going to submit to such permitting the recruiting of themselves a great deal of an insolent attempt to fix upon Polynesians for one of her own trouble.’ But if the Mayor of France a stigma it was not guilty colonies to continue, except Sydney, in his official capacity, of’, and ‘that when the matter under such restrictions that the had no right to ask the was brought under his notice by working of the Act will become so Legislature of this colony to his own people, he would be cumbrous and expensive that the inquire into the working of the Act found in a position to discharge principal reason for initiating the in question, it follows by parity of his duties without requiring any system will be defeated – viz., reasoning that Sydney clergymen assistance or advice from her obtaining a supply of cheap had no right to communicate with Britannic Majesty’s counsellors.’ labour. the Government on the same On the contrary, we learn that he Information Sheet 6 P a g The Polynesian Question and the Sydney Petition, 1869– continued I would observe, in conclusion, irreproachable character and lower stratum of whites in the that I believe that Polynesians conduct of many of the present late slaveholding States of make excellent servants, and employers of Polynesians in America, and the highly fatal that many Queensland employers Queensland will not prevent the insanitary state of the Mauritius, of such labour treat them as they tendency, which the general where ‘in 1866, 4918 persons ought to be treated; but this is employment of such labourers died from fever; in 1867, 31,920; just one of those things invariably has, to exalt the white and in 1868, 8343, making a concerning which you cannot put man in his own estimation, and total loss of upwards of 45,000 a part for the whole. If you may to depreciate in an equal degree lives. The death-rate from other not impute to the innocent the the status of his coloured causes being unusually high misdeeds of the guilty, neither dependents, and to use them, during the same period. In 1867, condone the guilt for the good whether free or enslaved, for the 88 per 1000 of the population deeds of the innocent.