1
pending the receipt of which I have, with the advice of
- the Executive Council, decided
to postpone
consideration
further applications.
of
I enclose a cutting
any.
5.
from
a local
newspaper
"having reference to this
subject.
Enclosure
314 Dear 1808
I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's Most Vedant
Bedient
Humble Servant,
for team declines
C
Cenclosure.
5100
897
142
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, DECEMBER 31St 1888.
MARKING THE PEOPLE IN SLAM
The Chinese who visit Siam, if not protected as registered subjects of a Western Treaty Power, are considered subject to the local laws of Siam, and a source of revenue is derived from them in the shape of a Triennial Tax of 41 t'oals. Once in every three years the Siamese Government allows some one to purchase the right of collecting this tax. When the right to collect has been obtained the purchaser of the right allows his agents in all parts of the King- dom to establish themselves at given locations. For a given season the Chinese are permitted to come voluntarily to these places and pay each his 44 ticals. When they thus come, a string is tied to the left wrist, and the knot is fastened with krang, a stiff gum, which is stamped. Then a certificate is made out giving the name. height, and a specific identification of the person. Having paid his tax. the string! fastened to kis left wrist, und received his iden- i tification paper, our tailed Celestial may go and traffic where he lists, and when challenged must show his wrist bad.o and written certificate. If thone sro beyond suspicion, he meets no more annoyance; it remains for bim only to pay the usual taxes levied on what he produces for sale, on his trees if an orobard owner, on his cultivat- el laud, if he cultivates, on his fishings, if a fish- erman, on his timber and lunther, if a woodcut- ter, on his stalls, stores, and boats, if a trader, and on any article he may manufacture. After a specified time, those who have not voluntarily paid their triennial tax are liable to be arrest d. and then they must pay an additional sua for their arrost, over and above the 41 ticals tax.: The children and grand children of Chinese who have migrated to Siam, are usually placed under a government master, and when thus placed are considered by the Siamese laws in every sense Siamsso. Special effort has been made to create an army. Proclamations have been issued to prevail upon young unmarked men from 15 years old and upward to present themselves for this branch of government service Those who like this prospect are voluntarily marked for this service. Others not liking a
soldier's
soldier's life conceal theraselves in hopes they may escape impressment and eventually be mark- ed for some other department of Government service, that is, the department to which their father blonged. These are the exution of the Siamese Government which the people general- ly dread, and, were flight possible, the bulk of the common people would make their cape. To prevent oscape, the months of all rivers leading to the sea, and the mountain passes affording passages to foreign countries are guarded by companies of petty officials, whose duty! it is to prevent all who are subject to the laws of Siam from going beyond their limits.
As-
As the laws of Siam, requiring the registration of Natives born in the Kingdom, and their designation to a particular mastor, and the Trionuial taxation of Chinese, not legitimately subject to the Weatorn Trosty powers, are now being enforced, we shall probably see practised by those subject to these taxes the many and sometimes amusing subterfuges to which they adroitly resort, to evade if possible the execution of these vory burdensome laws. If possible, i Chinese, Malays, Burman, and Peguans, will sedulously attempt to secure ragistration in the Consulates of one or other of the Treaty powers. Should they dupe the Consul and effect their re- gistration, their exemption from the Siamese Re- gistration and Triennial Tax becomes all but certain. Failing in this artifice they will apply for sitnations as personal servants, hoping thereby to be allowed to wear a badge or hatband, or to carry a paddle having perhaps the name of the employer insribed thereon. Failing in this they may insinuate themselves as relatives to certain bangers-on to some of the foreign establish- ments, and according to Siamese custom are without impropriety allowed to claim relation-i ship, more or less remote, and thus unavoidably and in spite of the honest intentions of their foroig masters, they secure more or less pro- tection. As a last resort, however, they will come to the foreign missionaries, and with deeply studied semblance of penitence, piety, and cou- version, will ask the zealous teachers for baptism and recognition as church members, and it does sometimes happen that these truly devotel mən are grossly imposed upon. Men and women are sometimes notoriously set forth in foreign roli. gious periodicals as pro-eminent examples of fervent piety, and when, justly porhape, punish- ed by their irritated, and to a certain extent cheated masters, they are believed to be, by re- ligious people abroad, brilliant, examples of mar- tyrdom-Siam Mercantile Gazette.