NEW REGULATIONS FOR THE COOLIE TRADE AT MACAO.
ART. VI.—Every manager or contractor, for any broker, who shall wilfully entice or receive emigrants who have been arranged (ajustados) by the brokers, employés, or contractors of other agents, shall be liable to a fine of from $50 to $200.
Ordinance No. 25.
The Governor of the Province of Macao and Timor determines as follows:-
In view of the necessity of obviating by means of due regulations the abuses that make themselves felt successively in the emigration of Chinese—abuses the origin of which resides for the most part without the limits of the jurisdiction of this Portuguese Colony, and to which, at the same time, it is only possible to apply a remedy when their influence detracts from the beneficial intervention exercised by this Government in the act of engagement;
In view of the fact that some of the provisions of the last Regulations for Chinese Emigration, although dictated by the necessity of repressing the abuses then prevailing, are at present practically superfluous, and even in some respects inconvenient, for instance in the case of the delay, not infrequently excessive, of vessels at anchor in port with migrants on board;
In view moreover of the advisability, for judicial purposes, of expressly defining the penalties applicable to each instance of infringement and offence, inasmuch as by this means a warning is afforded to persons of guilty intention and assistance is rendered to those invested with judicial power;
And having given audience to the Council of Government, to the Commission nominated by the Decree of the 2nd April of the current year, and to the reports of the Procurador of Chinese Affairs for the Colony and the Superintendent of Chinese Emigration:
I see fit to ordain as follows:-
ART. I.—Emigration Agents may obtain permission to open more than one establishment, on proof that they have an increased number of emigrants about to enter into contract with them.
§ 1. It shall be lawful for the Government to fix the number of establishments allowed to each agent, in proportion to the number of emigrants he intends contracting with.
§ 2. The establishments must fulfil the conditions as to space and ventilation that may be fixed upon, and, in addition, must provide separate lodgings for the women and families who also intend to emigrate.
§ 3. The establishments shall pay such a sum by way of police-rate, as may be determined.
ART. II.—It shall not be permitted to collect emigrants in "cun-taus" * or in any non-licensed building by way of establishment.
§ 1—On detection of any case of infraction of this article, all persons interested in the houses remain open and that the emigrants or licensed Emigration enjoy free egress between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
§ 1—Any police-constable reporting any infringement of the emigration regulations, on the same being proved, shall receive as reward the fourth part of the fine incurred by the offender.
§ 2.—A like reward shall be paid to any citizen who shall give information of any infringement of the rules, immediately on the same being proved.
ART. X.—It shall be the duty of the Police and the Superintendent of Chinese Emigration to see that the doors of the Establishments...
ART. XI.—No corporal punishment of any description shall be inflicted upon the Emigrants within the establishments; and any emigrant guilty of an offence shall be forthwith handed over to the Procurature tribunal in conformity with the existing laws.
Persons infringing the above prohibition shall be liable to a fine of from $50 to $200, and to the penalties provided in the Penal Code.
ART. XII.—Licensed brokers for Chinese emigration shall continue to receive their permits from the Procurature of Chinese Affairs, the process of security established by previous decrees being completed before issue of the license.
—The caution-money for brokers is raised to the amount of $500.
ART. XIII.—The Emigration establishments shall keep suspended at the doors, and in all the rooms within copies, in perfectly legible characters of the contracts offered by the agents, respectively, to the emigrants.
ART. XIV.—Notice shall be given to the Superintendent as soon as the Emigration Agent has collected emigrants, having made up their minds to sign the contract, in numbers sufficient to complete the dispatch of the vessel in which it is intended to send them on.
ART. XV.—The Emigration Superintendency shall be established in a building of sufficient capacity to contain, during the period of four days, the entire number of emigrants to be despatched in each vessel...
ART. XVI.—Emigrants who are ready to embark, according to the notice given by the Agent, shall be taken to the Superintendency, where, in open Court, they shall be examined by the Superintendent, and the contract shall be read and explained to them, a printed copy of the contract being delivered to each individual.
At this transaction, in addition to the persons employed in the Superintendency, there shall be present the Procurador of Chinese Affairs, or his deputy, the interpreters of Chinese appointed for this...
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