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449
labourers to British possessions and were debarred by law
from carrying them to foreign countries. This being so, I was
obliged to inform the British merchants accordingly, and the
coolies were shipped eventually by a German steamer.
To Hessrs. Dodwell & Co. the prohibition seemed hard and
unreasonable, as they considered that although such an enact-
ment on the part of the legislature might have been expedient
in by-gone days, when abuses in the coolie traffic were ram-
pant, the continuance of it under present day conditions was
unjust and uncalled for, and placed British shipping at a
disadvantage as compared with that of other countries which
was subject to no restrictions whatever. Messrs. Dodwell &
Co. informed me that they would take steps to have the ques-
tion brought to the notice of the Government with a view to
having the law amended, and they requested me to report fully
on the subject to His Majesty's Minister, which I did.
I now notice in the last issue of the Monthly Magazine
of the "Incorporated Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool" just
received, that the question came up before the Chamber in
.................
October,