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91. The question of return passage has been, I find, a long and vexed one, and I have already shown the importance attached by Chinese leaving their country to the prospect of an ultimate return to it; but I do not conclude that Emigrants cannot be obtained without such a guarantee.
92. The Government of Dutch Guiana, as I have before mentioned, have acceded to it, and are now offering in China, either a bonus of sixty dollars and a piece of land, or a free passage back at the end of five years.
93. I have no doubt that the free passage back is a great addition to the former terms, but the question is to be considered, whether the Planters in the British Colonies can afford this heavy additional charge; though I think that many Chinese, at the expiration of the term, would accept the bonus, and go into trade of some sort, and run the chance of being eventually able to pay their own passages back to China. I am decidedly opposed to any grant of back passages if it can be avoided, but I am afraid that with other Colonies in the field offering it, it becomes absolutely necessary.
94. When rice, the staff of life to the lower orders of Chinese, is dear, there will be little difficulty in finding thousands willing to emigrate, but the West Indies being, I may say, quite unknown to them, except what they may have learnt from placards and pamphlets, some immediate and certain advantage by way of bonus is necessary to turn their minds towards that part of the world.
95. The Chinese are described as a people sensibly alive to the value of money, and if it were proposed to find free passages to the various gold regions of California and Australia, they would be found to come forward in swarms, without thinking of, or at least, stipulating for bonuses or back passages.
96. The length of the voyage to the West India Islands also operates against them, as also the non-return of any who have emigrated thence, Mr. Sampson states that in 1864, or beginning of 1865, five Chinese only returned from the West Indies by the "Arima" via New Zealand, and landed at Hong Kong, three were originally from Amoy, and two from Swatow; those from Amoy wrote to their friends from Hong Kong of their intention of joining them, but have never since been heard of. The two Swatow men he heard nothing of.
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97. The remarks of Mr. Sampson, in his letter to the Emigration Commissioners in 1863, are well worthy of attention, should Emigration from China be again commenced. He says:-"One of the most beneficial supports Emigration could receive in a financial point of view would be a fixed annual demand. A fluctuating demand as that of 3,500 in the 'season of 1861, and of only 840 for the following season entail much speculative expense, and burdens with doubts, indecision, and difficulties the minds both of those engaged in the Emigration service, and emigrating class of the Chinese people. The service becomes denuded of its experienced Officials, and is shunned as a regular occupation on account of these uncertainties by men of suitable habits and character."
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98. With regard to sending back to China a few selected Emigrants, as living testimonials of the way in which they have been treated, and as an encouragement to other Emigrants, I am not inclined to recommend it. They would be useless as recruiters, for their fellow-countrymen would place no more confidence in them, than they do in those now employed by the Agents; and as a mere example the influence of the few that the Government would be likely to send, would be so circumscribed as not to be worth the expense. An experiment, of the sort was tried when Mr. Marriott, the late Emigration Agent for British Guiana at Calcutta, first came out in 1858 to take up his appointment; ten or twelve natives of India accompanied him from Demerara at a very heavy expense, and were never of the slightest use to him.
99. Mr. Lobschied's view on this subject is :-"That the distribution of successful men through the country would greatly facilitate the recruiting for the Agent, but would also have its bad effect; for the deaths of those who had become the victims to vice and carelessness, or who may have died in the process of acclimatization, would be placed before the eyes of their relatives who would likely shrink from following them."
100. At present, I see no chance of reducing the bonus, which must, till the West India Colonies become better known in China; and are resorted to from a conviction of their advantages over other Colonies seeking to procure Emigrants under contract, be regulated by the extent of competition of the Agents for foreign Colonies.
101. I do not think that the Chinese are yet alive to the superior advantages of emigrating to British as compared to foreign Colonies; but I am satisfied that if the Emigration is conducted in a British Colony under British Officers and under proper regulations, much greater confidence will be felt in it by the Chinese, and the withdrawal of foreign competition, will I have no doubt follow. My English predilections may, however, have led me to be too sanguine in my expectations.
102. Hong Kong is certainly the best port in China for procuring Ships, and I do not know that I can recommend any better, or more economical plan than that which has hitherto been adopted. Occasionally, no doubt the Home market would be the cheapest, and has on such occasions been resorted to by Her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners.
103. It must not be supposed that the Emigrants recruited at Hong Kong are necessarily residents of that place. Hundreds resort there annually from the mainland of China, for the purpose of seeking employment, or emigrating to some country. To give some idea of the fluctuating population of Hong Kong, I may mention that in 1867, 34,007 vessels, foreign and native, brought to Victoria 429,079 Chinese passengers, and a somewhat less number left by the same means. I forward a return of the population of Hong Kong for 1866, (See Appendix No. 12.)
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