299
AGE
:
and we believe in not a single instance has any complaint been
We have seen
made against her.
the Act of 1855, which we must say has hitherto been interpreted by us as referring to "Coolie Emigration, and not to the voluntary emigration of Chinese labourers and petty tradesmen, to the neighbouring ports. This voluntary emigration has been in existence for a long term of years, and we are not aware of having heard at any time of abuses connected with it. The passengers pay their own passage and take their own provisions; the ship finds a sufficiency of water and rice in case of necessity. They
are under no Contract but are
free
to pursue their avocations on
arrival.
The voyage to Manila under favourable circumstances, does not take more than a few days. We observe
by the Act that the Fortuna ought
to have
gone to Hongkong to clear out; This in itself would not only spoil
, but prevent her from
making another
voyage,
the
ever again obtaining passengers. In the trade betwixt Amoy and Manila, British vessels have already to contend against heavy duties imposed on
them by the Government of Manila, whilst the Spanish vessels are free, and if they are not allowed to carry passengers as they used to do, this branch of trade will be altogether monopolized by Spanish vessels.
In
168