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I submit the following memorandum and a minute by Mr. Cheardield on the above subject for the consideration of The Cabinet on 19th October 1906.
EASTERN No. 105 COLONIAL OFFICE
Cooolie Emigration from Hong Kong and China Ports.
Under the provisions of an Ordinance passed by the Hong Kong Legislature under the powers given by the Chinese Passengers Act of 1855, no vessel carrying more than twenty Asiatic passengers may clear from Hong Kong, and no British vessel in the like case may clear from a port in China or within 100 miles of the Chinese coast on a voyage of more than seven days' duration without a licence from the Governor of Hong Kong or from the Emigration Officer (i.e., the British Consul) at the port of departure.
The British Consul may not issue a licence to a vessel carrying coolies under contract, and the Governor of Hong Kong may not issue a licence in such a case unless the contracts are for service in a British possession.
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[The Governor of Hong Kong has apparently been advised that the law prohibits...