CO885(1-2) — Page 373

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

PIC.O. 885

An in inn

1 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

76

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO

3. The "Samuel Boddington" sailed from the same port in which the rival emigrations to South America, Cuba, and Australia, had introduced great irre- gularity. And this was rendered more mischievous by the circumstance that one of the agents for the Cuban contract was also employed by those concerned in the West Indian emigration. The Captain of the "Samuel Boddington" complains, that in consequence he was not fairly treated, inferior emigrants having been supplied, and a large number having escaped when on the point of being shipped. Mr. White considers these complaints to have been exagge- rated, but we think that copies of Mr. White's letter (No. 4.), and of the letters from Captain Hurst and Messrs. Tait enclosed in it, should be forwarded by the next post (March 2) to the Governor of British Guiana. We do not forward copies of the instructions, invoices, and clearing certificate referred to by Mr. White, as we do not apprehend that they will be of any use in the colony. The certificate is signed only by the agents of the shipowner. A copy of Mr. White's letter should also, we think, be forwarded to Trinidad, on account of the information it gives as to the ship "Australia," bound for that colony. That ship was, under Mr. White's advice, sent to Namoa, where he states her to have obtained an excellent set of emigrants. The Duke of Newcastle will remember that a large number of boys were said to have been sent from this port against the wishes of their parents. We do not doubt that this was a mis- take; but we have requested Mr. White to furnish us with an explanation on the subject.

4. Mr. White was of opinion that the space of fifteen feet per adult required by us in our contract with Messrs. Hyde, Hodge, and Co., respecting Trinidad emigration, and allowed in this ship, is more than is necessary. The Duke of Newcastle may remember that we have since reduced the space to that required for coolies from Calcutta (twelve feet). But we should point out, that the colony of Trinidad will not be called on to pay more than the bounty of 100 dollars per adult proclaimed by the authorities of British Guiana, and payable on emigrants arriving in that colony.

5. The "Clarendon" was filling at Whampoa, Mr. White having (judiciously, as it appears to us) persuaded those concerned in the West Indian emigration to withdraw their ships from Amoy.

6. The "Lucknow," a ship employed by a firm of British Guiana to bring out Chinese emigrants, had not appeared at Amoy; and it was feared she had met with some accident.

7. Mr. White appears to have decided that it will be best to make Hong Kong the port of emigration to the West Indies. This has the obvious advan- tage of placing his operations effectually under British supervision, of dis- joining them from the Spanish and other less regularly-conducted emigrations, and of avoiding all appearance of interfering with a foreign power. Whether he will obtain emigrants at Ilong Kong may be doubtful. But under the cir- cumstances he appears to us to judge very rightly in trying the experiment.

8. We also enclose the copy of a further letter, No. 5, of 26th December last, giving an account of the official inquiry (at which Mr. White was present) into the recent disturbances at Amoy.

9. It appears that a crimp employed by Messrs. Syme, Muir, and Co., who are concerned for the Cuban emigration, was accused of malpractices for which the Chinese authorities desired to punish him; and the tumult arose from an improper attempt by Mr. Syme to interfere between the criminal and the authorities. It seems, therefore, a matter on which we are little able to offer any observations. The Duke of Newcastle, however, will probably be interested in the information conveyed in Mr. White's letter, and will judge whether or not it should be communicated to the Foreign Office.

Herman Merivale, Esq.,

&c.

&c.

We have, &c.

(Signed) T. W. C. MURDOCH. FREDERIC ROGERS.

EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.

Enclosure 1 in No. 30.

77

SIR,

Hong Kong, December 26, 1852. I AM prevented from acknowledging the receipt of any communication by this nail, as all the letters to my address have been, inadvertently, sent up to Amoy, and cannot come to hand before the departure of the mail for England on the 28th. His Excellency the Governor has, however, been kind enough to allow me to peruse the papers and despatches with which he has been furnished in reference to my appoint- ment. As soon as I receive the "specific instructions" referred to in the 4th paragraph of my instructions, they shall have my most careful attention.

2. I had the honour of addressing you last on the 15th October. Since then I have been engaged in collecting information as to the actual state of affairs at the different places from which emigration was likely to be established (so as to decide definitively upon my future arrangements), and have endeavoured by way of suggestion, advice, or remonstrance, to put the bounty emigration to British Guiana and Trinidad on as favourable a footing as circumstances would permit.

3. The "Samuel Boddington" for Demerara left Amoy on the 24th November with 308 men and 4 boys. The "Australia" for Trinidad left Namoa on the 17th instant with 450 men. I have addressed you separately (No. 4.) with reference to these two vessels. The "Clarendon" for Trinidad will leave from Whampoa in the course of a few days, probably before the 31st, and I leave this for Canton to-morrow in order to see the emigrants and vessel before they leave. The Lucknow" had not reached Amoy on the 20th instant, and as she was then seventy days out from Hong Kong it is to be feared that she must have niet with some fatal disaster. The emigration to British Guiana and Trinidad stands thus at present:-

British Guiana "Lord Elgin'

"Glentanner " "Samuel Boddington

and forty-four boys

11

Trinidad

"Australia"

21

11

"Clarendon " ready to sail.

sailed 23 July

1st September 23d November

155 men.

305

308

22

790

7

17th December 450

4. The whole question of emigration is at present on an unsatisfactory footing, and unless regulated and judiciously and carefully conducted will lead to unpleasant con- sequences, injurious, if not destructive of its ultimate success. The sudden demand for labour created by the Cuban and Peruvian contracts, and the competing emigration to Australia and the British West Indies, with the fact that the parties now engaged, view the question of emigration simply as a commercial operation, to be carried on at the lowest cost, with little reference to other considerations, will at once account for many of the irregularities and abuses that have occurred, and for the feeling that now prevails to a certain extent alverse to emigration.

5. Immediately after my arrival at Hong Kong I went to Canton in order to see Messrs. Turner and Co., anil on my return I proceeded to Amoy where I remained until the 9th of November. I found ten vessels in the river, waiting for emigrants, and others daily expected. Of those ten vessels six were for Cuba, three for Australia, and one for Demerara, viz. :-

For Cuba.

Blenheim.

Inchinnan.

Columbus.

Lady Amherst.

Julian d'Unzuuta.

San Andres.

For Australia.

For Demerara.

Boddington.

Royal Saxon. Spartan.

Eleanor Lancaster.

The "Sir Thomas Gresham" (afterwards clartered for Cuba) arrived during my stay there, and the "Australia" the day after I left. 1 found everything in an unsatisfactory position. The rivalry of the parties engaged in emigration, and the eagerness to obtain emigrants, in order to prevent the vessels from coming under demurrage-had given rise and a sanetion to irregularities and abuses which ought not to have been permitted, and could not have existed under a moderate and regulated emigration.

6. Of the three houses engaged, Messrs. Tait and Co., and Syme, Mure, and Co. ha the working out of the Spanish contracts, under Messrs. Wordrobe and Ferrand (Spanish agents) for one contract; and Mr. De Castro (Spanish agent) for another contract; and Mr. Robert Jackson had two out of the three Australian vessels. Messrs. Tait and Co. were also engaged to procure emigrants for British Guiana and Trinidad-thus combining double agency-on the one side on behalf of British Guiana and Trinidad, and on the other on behalf of Cuba. This double agency appeared to me exceedingly objectionable; K 3

Enel. I in Nu. 30.