CO885-(1-2) — Page 340

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

12

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO

No. 2.

Copy of a LETTER from T. F. ELLIOT Esq. to the Right Hon. Lord STANLEY.

Downing Street, August 30, 1852.

MY LORD,

I AM directed by Secretary Sir John Pakington to acquaint you that he has received from the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade various papers relating to the treatment of Chinese emigrants carried from their own country to Australia and America in British ships, especially to the case of those taken in the "Lady Montague.”

With reference to a statement which appears in a letter from the Foreign Office to the Board of Trade, contained in this correspondence, I am to request that you will move the Earl of Malmesbury to inform Sir J. Pakington whether his Lordship contemplates the proposal of any legislative enactment on this subject; and that you will at the same time apprize his Lordship, that so far as regards any emigration to be encouraged by private funds furnished by the West India Colonies, Sir J. Pakington has, in a separate letter, brought before him the proposal (as contained in the Report from the Emigration Board therein enclosed) to appoint a gentleman, on whose experience and judgment he has reliance, to conduct this emigration on the behalf of the Government. The adoption of this course, if unobjectionable in other respects, would, Sir John Pakington trusts, sufficiently guard against any abuses in vessels carrying emi- grants by means of public money; but this measure will, of course, have no effect on merchant ships carrying emigrants on private account. Right Hon. Lord Stanley,

I have, &c.,

SIR,

&c.

&c.

&c.

No. 3.

(Signed)

T. F. ELLIOT.

Cory of a LETTER from the Right Hon. Lord STANLEY to HERMAN MERIVALE Esq.

Foreign Office, October 18, 1852.

I AM directed by the Earl of Malmesbury to request that you will state to Secretary Sir John Pakington, with reference to your letter of the 30th of August last, that his Lordship is not prepared to propose that any special pro- vision should be made, either by Parliament or by the Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China, against the recurrence of such abuses as those which occurred in the case of the Chinese coolies shipped on board the " Montague."

Lady

The emigration of Chinese subjects being contrary to the law of China, Her Majesty's Government could not well propose that an Act should be passed, by or under the authority of the British Legislature, for regulating in China any such emigration. But it appears to Lord Malmesbury, that as far as such emigration is made to British colonial ports, the Colonial Legislatures might provide against any abuses in the conduct of it by requiring vessels engaged in conveying emigrants from China to the several British colonies, to conform to any specific regulations which may be established in these colonies for the- protection of the emigrants during their passage.

I am, &c.,

Herman Merivale, Esq.,

&c. &c.

&c.

No. 4.

(Signed)

STANLEY.

Cory of a LETTER from THE COLONIAL LAND AND EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS to HERMAN MERIVALE Esq.

Colonial Land and Emigration Office, August 4, 1852,

SIB,

We beg to offer for Sir John Pakington's consideration the following Report, as the result of the communications which have taken place under

13

EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.

directions of the Secretary of State, between this Board and the West India Committee, with respect to the proposed immigration of Chinese into the West Indies. We should point out, however, that Mr. M'Gregor expresses a wish that his letter of 28th June may be considered as confidential.

2. It will be convenient to state, first, how the matter at present stands, and what has passed on the subject; and next, to state the different causes between which (if the Chinese emigration is to be proceeded with) the alternative appears to lie.

mation obtained.

3. The principle of encouraging emigration from China to the West Indies has been distinctly sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government. Not only has Mr. White been sent out at the expense of British Guiana and Trinidad to collect information and pave the way for opening this emigration,* but Ordi- * For a short sum- nances have been passed in Trinidad and British Guiana for enabling private mary of the infor- persons to import Chinese immigrants, under contract with themselves. (British vide Colonial Land Guiana Ordinance, No. 22, of 1851, and Trinidad Ordinance, No. 14, of 1850.) and Emigration In the former colony a bounty of 100 dollars a head has been promised on Commissioners immigrants introduced by merchants or ship-owners; and in Trinidad the same Annual Report. bounty has been promised to Messrs. Hyde, Hodge, and Co., to the extent of page 59; also Ap- three ships, under sanction of the Secretary of State.

pendices 56, 57, and 58.

4. In October last this Board was directed by Lord Grey to enter into com- munication with the West India Committee on the best mode of forwarding this emigration. The Governor of British Guiana having desired that a ship might be chartered by the Board, unless the emigration had already been set on foot by private persons, under the bounty or otherwise.

5. A communication was accordingly made to the Committee, but the Secretary (as reported in our letter of the 8th November) desired that the subject might stand over till the arrival of Mr. White in this country, which was then shortly expected.

6. In December a resolution of the Court of Policy was received, authorizing the appropriation of 50,0001. of the guaranteed loan to this emigration. In January a resolution of the Council of Trinidad was received, recommending the introduction of 1,000 Chinese.

7. In the latter part of May, Mr. White (whose arrival had been delayed longer than was expected) reached England, and, with the concurrence of the West India Committee, urged upon this Board the advantage of placing the emigration in the hands of Messrs. Dent and Co., whose character was a guarantee that the enterprise would be carried on in good faith, and whose name commanded the confidence of the natives. Though the arrangement suggested by a partner in that house did not appear to us as entirely satis- factory, yet, at the desire of the West India Committee, communications were addressed to Messrs. Dent and Co. They, however, on further consideration, declined to involve themselves in the undertaking. Shortly afterwards, how- ever, an offer was received from Messrs. Symes, Muir, and Co., to take charge of it.

But the West India Committee, in a letter dated 28th June, of which we enclose a copy, stated their grounds for objecting to the employment of these gentlemen, and suggested that Mr. White should be sent out as Govern- ment Emigration Agent; adding, that Messrs. Dent, though unwilling to act directly in the matter, would afford him all the assistance in their power.

8. We were unwilling at once to give up the prospect of carrying on the undertaking through some established house of credit, and we therefore made some further inquiries, and were informed by a partner in the house of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. that on any such emigration the relatives of those who left the country were in a state of continual anxiety to hear news of those who had left the country, and more especially to receive remittances from them, to the extent even of thronging the doors, and interfering with the business of those who were responsible for the emigration. He thought, therefore, that no resident merchants who had other important concerns to manage would submit to such an interference with their ordinary business. We did not think it neces- sary, therefore, to push any further inquiries on the subject, and submit the question as it now stands for Sir John Pakington's instructions.

9. The points requiring special attention are of two kinds. First, it is neces- sary to secure a good selection of labourers, the proper treatment of the Chinese during the voyage, and the fairness and legality of the contracts between the colonists and the Chinese. Secondly, to avoid any collision between the British

B 3

No. 3.

No. 4