No
42.
Dupe.
Corvet
RECE
C.O.
7323
ep 3 MAR 13
372
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 4th. February, 1913.
B.d2
1749
2bt
7063
2417
sir.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt
3 of your telegrams of the 16th. and 22nd. ultimo relative to the
request of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for permission to ship a Chinese crew on the articles of the S. S. "Talthybius" for transfer to the S. S. *Empress of Russia", now lying at Glasgow. I enclose copies of my telegrams of the 14th. and 21st. ultimo.
2.
It appears that in May, 1911, a Chinese crew
were sent to England in the S. S. "Theseus" for transfer to the S. S. "Robert Dollar", under different ownership. I enclose an extract from the articles signed on that occasion.
Enclosure
a rs.
re 2.
3.
1
Your decision in this matter was duly communica -ted to Mr. D. W. Craddock, the local Agent of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, who thereupon shipped the men to London as assisted emigrants, by the S. S. "Talthybius* the sailing of which was postponed for the purpose until the 27th. ultimo. It was pointed out to Mr. Craddock that it was to be inferred from your telegrams that the Board of Trade were opposed to these Chinese joining the S. S. "Empress of Russia in the United Kingdom, but as the requirements of the Chinese Emigration Ordinances 1889-1908 had been duly complied with this Government was not in a position to refuse to let the men go.
I
HE RICHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,
&C..
&c.,
&C...