62
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
Four Lordship has, in the Despatch No. 67, dated 20th October, on the subject of coolie emigration, laid down an important principle, that the Chinese Government is bound to enforce the laws of China. But it must not be forgotten that a Government impotent, corrupt, and disorganized, as is the Government of China, whatever may be its desires, is wholly unable to maintain its own authority and give effect to its own legislation; and it should be remembered, that our treaties with China are part and portion of the law of England, so that it becomes a matter for serious reflection as to how far we may be autho rized to allow or to sanction (as, for example, by the superintendenco of an official emigra tion agent out of the five ports) the violation of our own engagements. Associated with these questions are the immense interests, both British and Anglo-Indian, involved in the opium trade, giving at the present moment more than three millions sterling of revenue to India, and furnishing the means of payment for a large portion of the exports from China to Great Britain, her colonies, and the United States. The whole topic is sur- rounded with the most serious difficulties difficulties attaching alike to interference and non-interference. I purpose addressing your Lordship further on this subject by an early mail, being unwilling to commit myself by hasty suggestions; but I beg respectfully to convey to your Lordship an opinion, that either very distinct and ample instructions should be given to Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, or he, in conjunction with Her Majesty's naval forces in these regions, must be entrusted with a considerable amount of authority to protect the legitimate interests of commerce and our present and future amicable relations with the Chinese functionaries and people from the consequences of abuses, many in number and great in amount, connected with the irregular and fraudulent shipment of coolies, abuses which even now are not far from placing the coolie emigration in the category of another slave trade.
I beg to state to your Lordship, that both officially and privately I stated some time ago to Mr. Acting Consul Backbouse, that I was not satisfied with the very small amount of information furnished by him as to the character and conduct of the coolie emigration from Amoy.
The Earl of Malmesbury,
&c. &c. &c.
I have, &c., (Signed)
JOHN BOWRING.
EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.
63
Chinese coolies, and the discreditable scenes which had arisen out of the manner in which that emigration was conducted at Amoy, I am directed by the Earl of Clarendon to transmit to you herewith copies of further Despatches received from. Dr. Bowring on the same subject; and I am to request that in laying these papers before the Duke of Newcastle, you will call his Grace's most serious attention to the statements contained in them, and to the enor- mities which seem likely to attend any extensive system of coolie emigration from China, unless all parties concerned in it are made to understand that the attention of Her Majesty's Government is fixed upon them, and that any mis- conduct calculated to affix the stigma of slave-trading on their proceedings will be visited with the severest punishment.
And I am especially to suggest, that any parties over whom Her Majesty's Government can exercise a control should be distinctly apprised, that by either resorting themselves, or countenancing any others to resort, for the purpose of engaging Chinese emigrants, to any other than the ports of China legally open to British trade, they will, in addition to any other risks or penalties to which they may expose themselves by the manner in which they conduct the emi- gration, be liable to the penalties applicable under Her Majesty's Order in Council of February 21, 1813, to persons resorting to other than the legal ports in China.
Herman Merivale, Esq.,
&c.
&c.
I am, &c., (Signed)
WODEHOUSE.
Enclosure 1 in No. 22.
Encl. 1 in No. 22.
SIR,
British Consulate, Amoy, November 20, 1852.
I HAVE the lionour to report to your Excellency, that since my Despatch No. 48, bearing date 231 September last, three British vessels have cleared from this port with coolies, all bound to Havanna.
Two other British vessels, the "Inchinnan " and " Eleanor Lancaster," have cleared from Amoy in ballast, with the intention of taking coolies on board at Namon or some place in its vicinity; the first-named vessel proceeds to Havanna, the other to Sydney. Should it be found that coolies can be readily obtained at Namoa, I have no doubt other vessels will follow the example of the above-named ships.
There are now in harbour seven British vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of upwards of 4,200 tons, taking or preparing to take coolies on board intended for Demerara, Havanna, and Australia.
Further particulara respecting the vessels that have left, I shall obtain from the con- signees ere I close this Despatch; and before I meet with an opportunity of forwarding it to your Excellency, I shall probably be able to report the clearing of two or three of the vessels now lowling (30th November).
The circumstances in which we are all placed (reported in my Despatch No. 60, of 27th instant), will sufficiently account for my not being able, at present, to make a fuller report on the subject in hand. I trust that my next report will contain more matter for your Excellency's consideration.
Since the date of the present Despatch, the "Samuel Boddington
" has cleared for Demerara; the "Royal Saxon," for Sydney; and the "Lady Amherst," for Havanna These vessels, as well as those previously named, took on an average 350 coolies each; for whom the usual amount of accommodation, provisions, &c., were provided.
Dr. John Bowring,
&c. &c.
No. 22.
I have, &c., (Signed)
J. BACKHOUSE,
COPY of a LETTER from Lord WODEHOUSE to H. MERIVALE Esq.
SIR,
Foreign Office, March 30, 1859. WITH reference to Mr. Addington's letters of the 1st and 9th instant, cnclosing copies of Despatches from Dr. Bowring respecting the emigration of
MY LORD,
Superintendency of Trade, Hong Kong, January 5, 1853. Is reference to my Despatch No. 175, of 24th December, per last mail, by which I expressed any intention of submitting to your Lordship some observations on coolie emigration from this country; I now beg leave to resume a topic to which the sad occur. rences ut Amoy, not wholly unanticipated by me, have given an additional interest.
The coolie emigration may be divided into two categories-that which takes place at the five ports, where by treaty we have a right to trade, and that which is carried on from ports and places where we have no right, and where trading must be deemed a distinct infraction of the fourth article of the supplementary treaty with China.
Vessels lading with coolies may be considered under three classes,-British vessels con- veying coolies to British colonies; foreign vessels conveying coolies to British colonies; foreign vessels conveying coolies to foreign countries or colonies.
Under each of these divisions I propose to make a few remarks.
Any considerable inquiry for coolies, any competition for obtaining, them, indeed any demand for a single human being beyond the spontaneous supply of volunteers, will, in China, lead to abuses; such are the venality and profligacy of public offices, such the passion for gain among multitudes of the people; and, I am sorry to say, so low is the moral tone among many of the foreign merchants and traders, that the coolie traffic will inevitably be associated with irregularities and cruelties. Let it be only understood that men are wanted, and they will be obtained; obtained by collusions, crimpings, frauds, false- hoods, violences, understandings with the Mandarins; and the abominations will of course be maximized where authority is most feable, and the demand most active
The opium stations were carly fixed upon as convenient places for the shipment of coolies. A large force is always there, a systems of non-interference has become a usage and almost a necessity; no authority is present to check any amount of misdoings; and Cumsingmoon, the opium station, which supplies the Canton demand and that of the districts to the west of Canton, las, next to Anoy, become one of the principal places of shipment. Since the disturbances at Amoy, Namoa, another opium station, bas furnished two cargoes of coolies, one for Demerara, and the other for Australia; and fire- parations are making there, I am informed, for the erection of barracoons, and for carry- ing on the coolie trade on a very extensive scale. I have reason to know that the great opium houses are somewhat alarmed by the adjacency of these coolie depôts, and that the opium vessels at Namoa are ordered to quit the neighbourhood of these coolie congrega- tions I cannot conceal from your Lordship my apprehension, that the gathering together, under the existing circumstances, of coolies in these remote places, may lead to immense evils-to robbery and bloodshed on a large scale.
As regards shipments from places where trade is absolutely interdicted by treaty, Her Majesty's Government may have to consider how far the principle laid down in your Lordship's Despatch No. 67, of the 20th October, is to be observed as regards localities.
H 4
No. 22.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
يليسا
C.O.
Reference --
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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