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Presented by the complainants to the British and Chinese Legations, as many of their assertions are erroneous; their appreciation of certain facts is sophistical, and their views in respect to many others are palpably contradictory.
The foregoing exposition nevertheless enables us to arrive at certain conclusions which I hope will fully vindicate the action of the Sanitary Authorities in regard to their reception of the steamers "Suisang" and "Landrat Schieff" which carried Chinese immigrants to the Port of Salina Cruz in the months of May and June last.
I. The regulations enforced in the case of the steamers "Suisang" and "Landrat Schieff" on their arrival at the Port of Salina Cruz are identically the same as those imposed on all the steamers which have been carrying immigrants to this country during the last five years, whether these steamers belonged to the China Commercial Steamship Company; the Eng Hok Fong Company; or to Japanese engaged in the same trade.
II. All the Companies during those five years have submitted to these regulations without demur.
III. It has been the constant practice not to disembark immigrants who, on the occasion of the first visit of inspection, were found to be unquestionably suffering from diseases.
IV. When the immigrants have been disembarked for the purpose of keeping them under observation in the barracks for a period of ten days, if eventually found to be suffering from disease they have been returned to the ship, howsoever large the number of such persons may have been.
V. The Companies have never regarded the Chinese immigrants whom it has been found necessary to return to the ships in consequence of disease, as having been expelled from the country.
VI. The fact that armed forces were employed to facilitate the disembarkation of immigrants, or their re-embarkation after proving to be diseased, is explainable as an ordinary precaution for the prevention of escapes which have occurred on occasions when such measures were not adopted.
VII. All visits of inspection to the steamers "Suisang" and "Landrat Schieff" were carried out by both Delegates of the Board in Salina Cruz, and all embark...
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