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Harting, and if so under what regulations
It will be seen that this Imperial Highness contemplates the absolute prohibition of Subjects of a non-treaty Power opening Emigration Agencies in Chinese Territories, the ships of non-treaty Powers from carrying Emigrants and also that Subjects of China shall be forbidden to take service in Countries not having Treaties with China, and finally, that no ship under the flag of a treaty Power shall be allowed to convey Coolies under contract to such Countries.
Although such prohibitions and restrictions would not necessarily affect the power of shipping Coolies from Hongkong irrespective of any Imperial Edict, I conceive it is probable that if Her Majesty's Government agreed in the expediency of these restrictions for China, they would also feel bound to see they were made operative in Hongkong, and indeed unless the said prohibitions can be enforced both in Macao and Hongkong, it is quite clear the Chinese Government can take no steps that will be of the slightest avail to put a stop to the iniquities and abuses which have attached to Coolie Emigration under contracts with any safeguards hitherto devised.
I propose to write in this sense to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, forwarding as...