THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 22ND SEPTEMBER, 1888.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 422.
The following are published for general information.
By Command,
FREDERICK STEWART, Colonial Secretary.
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Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 22nd September, 1888.
A general translation of the Act regulating Chinese immigration to the Hawaiian Territory.
The New Act regulating Chinese Immigration to the (Hawaiian) Territory which has been passed by the Legislative Council of this Kingdom, and received the sanction of the King is hereby traus- lated for the purpose of being published for the information of the public.
1. The meaning of the word "Chinese" referred to in this Act is as follows: All
persons who were born of Chinese parents, or who are natives of China, or who are natives of the dependencies of China, or whose parents belong to the Islands on the China Seas are Chinese.
2. Commencing from the 1st March, 1888, in the event of any vessels coming to Hawaii, if the Chinese (passengers on board) have not obtained proper permits from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, they shall not be allowed to enter the territory, the said permits to be in accordance with the regula- tions made under the Act and published by the Minister of the Foreign Affairs in conjunction with the various high officials. Any regulations that may be framed hereafter shall not however be included. If any Chinese can prove to the satisfaction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs that they have already had permission to come to the Hawaiian Territory, they shall not come under the restriction.
3. If the Captains of any vessels let the Chinese land or attempt to send them ashore without such permits as aforesaid, they shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $200 in respect of each (of the Chinese immigrants so smuggled). For infringement of the law, the Chinese shall likewise be liable to a fine of $50, and the Captains shall be directed to carry the said Chinese back (to where they had come from). If after the issue of a proclamation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Any one should disobey this, he shall be liable to a fine of $200 or to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 30 days.
4. Any persons who either purposely bring or assist in bringing or are compelled by circumstances to bring into the Hawaiian Territory any Chinese in contravention of the law they shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $200 or to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 30 days in respect of each (of the Chinese immigrants so smuggled).
5. Notwithstanding the above mentioned sections, the Minister of the Foreign Affairs shall be required to issue permits in accordance with the following regulations.
A. With regard to the issue of permits to the Chinese after the Act has been passed, and to the issue of permits to the Chinese to enable them to return to Hawaii in future, after the Act has come into operation, it shall be necessary that these Chinese should have been resident in the Kingdom of Hawaii for two years, and also that the Minister of Foreign Affairs should satisfy himself that they are not vagrants, criminals, swindlers, mendicants, opium-smokers, nor are they people that will likely break the laws of the Kingdom in future. In such cases no permits can be issued.
B. If the "Society for the protection of the living" should represent that the Chinese are of advantage to the Arts of the Kingdom and are absolutely required for the purpose of cultivation, the various high officials shall meet and consider the matter, and may allow the Chinese to have permits, but their number cannot exceed 300 in one quarter. C. Servants accompanying their masters the masters not being Chinese shall have permits
issued to them to enable them to land at the Hawaiian Territory.
D. Travellers and merchants or traders who on account of business in the Hawaiian Territory wish to come and stay here for a short time may do so, but they cannot stay for more than 6 months.
Further they shall be required to give security in the sum of $500 in order to guarantee that they will leave the territory within 6 months. Should they be found in Hawaii after the expiration of that time, they shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 6 months with hard labour, and the security shall also be forfeited owing to misconduct on the part of the said persons. For every permit issued under this section, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is allowed to charge a fee of $5.
6. The Minister of the Foreign Affairs, and the Hawaiian Consuls in Hongkong, San Francisco and Shanghai or the Head Merchant shall be at liberty to issue "permits to immigrate to Hawaii" to respectable Chinese women, or women who accompany their husbands or to boys and girls under years of age whose parents are in Hawaii, or who come here in company with their parents or where the whole family, father mother son and daughter all come together, but the regulations above alluded to must be observed. For permits issued under this section, no fees are charged.
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