262
CHINESE LABOURERS.
232
PAPERS RELATIVE TO EMIGRATION OF
back would only be a premium held out to leave the country and abandon the families they will certainly have.
Contracts with private parties for servitude at specified rates, and on the principle of an apprenticeship, will have the appearance of compulsion, while they will also, from their very nature, be unequal as to conditions. Thus in the two contracts respectively from Penang and Singapore for servitude in the Mauritius, I find that one labourer is to have four dollars a month only, and the other five and a half. One man is satisfied with 45 lbs. of rice a month and 6 lbs. of fish, while the other is to eat 60 lbs. of rice and 15 lbs. of fish in the same time. In diet, as in every thing else, the Chinese ought to be left to themselves, and no people in the world know better how to look after their own interests. I repeat, then, that the Chinese immigrants must be left at perfect liberty, and that there are no other means of securing the efficient labour of which they are capable. If in any way constrained they will inevitably defraud their employers, and no people know better how to set about doing this artfully and systematically.
J. CRAWFURD.
(Signed)
CHINESE LABOURERS TO THE WEST INDIES.
No. 15.
263
Copy of a LETTER from JAMES STEPHEN, Esq., to NEILL MALCOLM, Esq.
Sir,
Downing-street, 7th October, 1843.
I AM directed by Lord Stanley to transmit to you, for your information, the enclosed copy of a series of questions suggested by the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners on the subject of Chinese emigration into the West Indies, with the copy of a paper furnished to the Commissioners by Mr. Crawfurd in reply.
I have, &c.
JAMES STEPHEN.
To Neill Malcolm, Esq.
(Signed)
No. 16.
CHINESE LABOURERS.
No. 15.
Pages 259, 260.
No. 16.
No. 13.
4 Sept. Page 249.
No. 14.
No. 13.
Copy of a LETTER from JAMES STEPHEN, Esq., to the LAND and EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS.
Gentlemen,
Downing-street, September 12, 1843.
I AM directed by Lord Stanley to transmit to you, for your information and guidance, the enclosed copy of a letter which has been addressed by his Lordship's desire to Mr. Neill Malcolm relative to the introduction of Chinese labourers into the West Indian Colonies.
You will observe that there are certain details connected with this scheme which Lord Stanley has reserved for your consideration.
(Signed)
The Land and Emigration Commissioners.
&c.
&c.
&c.
No. 14.
I am, &c.
JAMES STEPHEN,
Copy of a LETTER from JAMES STEPHEN, Esq., to the LAND and EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS.
Gentlemen,
Downing-street, October 3, 1843.
ADVERTING to a desire which has been expressed by the West India body, that a fixed and uniform rate of bounty on the importation of Chinese labourers into the West Indies should be substituted for the existing arrangement which fixes a maximum payment subject to the production of their accounts by the parties claiming it, I am directed by Lord Stanley to request that you will report to his Lordship whether the information within your reach is such as to enable you to fix upon a proper rate of bounty, and if so, what that rate of bounty should be.
Lord Stanley entertains no objection to the proposed alteration of the rule in this respect, provided such a rate of bounty could be fixed as shall be sufficient to cover the expenses which may be actually incurred by the importer, and no more. But will bear in mind, that according to the system proposed to be established you for the present, the object is that the importation should be confined to those persons who desire to introduce labourers at their own cost, and for their own service; and, consequently, that no inducement ought to be held out in the rate of bounty to mere adventurers to import upon a speculation of deriving profit from the difference between the actual cost and the amount allowed.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
The Land and Emigration Commissioners,
&c.
&c.
&c.
JAMES STEPHEN.
Sir,
Copy of a LETTER from the LAND and EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS to JAMES STEPHEN, Esq.
Colonial Land and Emigration Office,
9, Park-street, Westminster, October 14, 1843.
WITH reference to your Letters of the 12th ultimo and the 3rd instant, we have the honour to submit the following report on the proposed Chinese Immigration into the West Indies.
Having procured information from various quarters, and compared it with the data previously existing in this office, and with such estimates as have been tendered to us on behalf of the West India body, we feel justified in recommending, in answer to the second of your letters, the adoption of a fixed bounty of 65 dollars on emigrants from China to the West Indies.
With regard to the details referred to us in your former letter, we beg leave to submit the following suggestions:-that the conveyance of the emigrants should be regulated by the provisions of the Passengers' Act on colonial voyages; that the length of the voyage be estimated at 18 weeks; that the emigrants require to be possessed of some warm clothing; that the allowance of provisions be fixed by the governor at the place of departure; that a proper officer of his government be directed by him to see that all these requirements are complied with, and to grant a certificate to that effect, without which bounty should not be claimable.
In recommending the passage to be estimated at 18 weeks, we proceed on enquiries, which we have caused to be made from practical persons on the subject. Upon so long a voyage, and with the ample duration we believe we have assigned to it, it appears to us unnecessary to make any distinction on account of the additional distance to Jamaica. And under this view we have not suggested any difference in the rate of bounty to that island.
We believe that it is the habit of the Chinese to be provided with warm clothing; but considering from what different parts they come, and that there seems an obvious risk that in going from one tropical country to settle in another, the necessity of taking precautions against the cold in doubling the Cape of Good Hope might be overlooked, a circumstance which we have no doubt might be of fatal consequences to the passengers' health, we have thought it our duty to suggest that attention should be drawn to the subject. It is not our meaning that the shippers ought to furnish a stock of such clothing, but that merely that before the people's departure is finally approved, it should be seen by the practical officer that they have with them, no matter from what source derived, a reasonable supply of the kind for the passage. The clothing of English emigrants to Australia has been subjected to an inspection of this description. Should it be found desirable to name the description and smallest quantity of warm clothing that could be passed, this could probably be easily done by the local authorities, taking care, however, not to entail any unnecessary expense, nor to make anything unusual in the country, and difficult to procure.
Should the foregoing suggestions be approved it will remain to draw for the information and guidance of private parties, and to issue instructions on the subject to the authorities in the Straits of Malacca, and to the Governors of the respective West India Colonies.
up
rules
For the first purpose we have the honour to submit herewith, for Lord Stanley's consideration, a draft of the paper which we would propose to print.
In the first of the rules it contains we have left in blank the name of the office at which parties are to apply for permission to import Chinese emigrants, not
262
CHINESE LABOURERS.
232
PAPERS RELATIVE TO EMIGRATION OF
back would only be a premium held out to leave the country and abandon the families they will certainly have.
Contracts with private parties for servitude at specified rates, and on the principle of an apprenticeship, will have the appearance of compulsion, while they will also, from their very nature, be unequal as to conditions. Thus in the two contracts respectively from Penang and Singapore for servitude in the Mauritius, I find that one labourer is to have four dollars a month only, and the other five and a half. One man is satisfied with 45 lbs. of rice a month and 6 lbs. of fish, while the other is to eat 60 lbs. of rice and 15 lbs. of fish in the same time. In diet, as in every thing else, the Chinese ought to be left to themselves, and no people in the world know better how to look after their own interests. I repeat, then, that the Chinese immigrants must be left at perfect liberty, and that there are no other means of securing the efficient labour of which they are capable. If in any way constrained they will inevitably defraud their employers, and no people know better how to set about doing this artfully and systematically.
J. CRAWFURD.
(Signed)
CHINESE LABOURERS TO THE WEST INDIES.
No. 15.
263
Copy of a LETTER from JAMES STEPHEN, Esq., to NEILL MALCOLM, Esq. Sir,
Downing-street, 7th October, 1843. I AM directed by Lord Stanley to transmit to you, for your information, the enclosed copy of a series of questions suggested by the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners on the subject of Chinese emigration into the West Indies, with the copy of a paper furnished to the Commissioners by Mr. Crawfurd in reply.
I have, &c.
JAMES STEPHEN.
To Neill Malcolm, Esq.
(Signed)
No. 16.
CHINESE LABOURERS.
No. 15.
Pages 259, 260.
No. 16.
No. 13.
4 Sept. Page 249.
No. 14.
No. 13.
Copy of a LETTER from JAMES STEPHEN, Esq., to the LAND and EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS.
Gentlemen,
Downing-street, September 12, 1843.
I AM directed by Lord Stanley to transmit to you, for your information and guidance, the enclosed copy of a letter which has been addressed by his Lord- ship's desire to Mr. Neill Malcolm relative to the introduction of Chinese labourers into the West Indian Colonies.
You will observe that there are certain details connected with this scheme which Lord Stanley has reserved for your consideration.
(Signed)
The Land and Emigration Commissioners.
&e.
&c.
&c.
No. 14.
I am, &c.
JAMES STEPHEN,
Copy of a LETTER from JAMES STEPHEN, Esq., to the LAND and EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS.
Gentlemen,
Downing-street, October 3, 1843. ADVERTING to a desire which has been expressed by the West India body, that a fixed and uniform rate of bounty on the importation of Chinese labourers into the West Indies should be substituted for the existing arrangement which fixes a maximum payment subject to the production of their accounts by the parties claiming it, I am directed by Lord Stanley to request that you will report to his Lordship whether the information within your reach is such as to enable you to fix upon a proper rate of bounty, and if so, what that rate of bounty should be.
Lord Stanley entertains no objection to the proposed alteration of the rule in this respect, provided such a rate of bounty could be fixed as shall be sufficient to cover the expenses which may be actually incurred by the importer, and no more. But will bear in mind, that according to the system proposed to be established
you for the present, the object is that the importation should be confined to those per- sons who desire to introduce labourers at their own cost, and for their own service; and, consequently, that no inducement ought to be held out in the rate of bounty to mere adventurers to import upon a speculation of deriving profit from the difference between the actual cost and the amount allowed.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
The Land and Emigration Commissioners,
&c.
&c.
&c.
JAMES STEPHEN.
Sir,
Cory of a LETTER from the LAND and EMIGRATION COMMISSIONERS to JAMES STEPHEN, Esq.
Colonial Land and Emigration Office,
9, Park-street, Westminster, October 14, 1843. WITH reference to your Letters of the 12th ultimo and the 3rd instant, we have the honour to submit the following report on the proposed Chinese Immigra- tion into the West Indies.
Having procured information from various quarters, and compared it with the data previously existing in this office, and with such estimates as have been tendered to us on behalf of the West India body, we feel justified in recommending, in answer to the second of your letters, the adoption of a fixed bounty of 65 dollars on emigrants from China to the West Indies.
With regard to the details referred to us in your former letter, we beg leave to submit the following suggestions:-that the conveyance of the emigrants should be regulated by the provisions of the Passengers' Act on colonial voyages; that the length of the voyage be estimated at 18 weeks; that the emigrants require to be possessed of some warm clothing; that the allowance of provisions be fixed by the governor at the place of departure; that a proper officer of his government be directed by him to see that all these requirements are complied with, and to grant a certificate to that effect, without which bounty should not be claimable.
In recommending the passage to be estimated at 18 weeks, we proceed on enquiries, which we have caused to be made from practical persons on the subject. Upon so long a voyage, and with the ample duration we believe we have assigned to it, it appears to us unnecessary to make any distinction on account of the additional distance to Jamaica. And under this view we have not suggested any difference in the rate of bounty to that island.
We believe that it is the habit of the Chinese to be provided with warm clothing; but considering from what different parts they come, and that there seems an obvious risk that in going from one tropical country to settle in another, the necessity of taking precautions against the cold in doubling the Cape of Good Hope might be overlooked, a circumstance which we have no doubt might be of fatal consequences to the passengers' health, we have thought it our duty to suggest. that attention should be drawn to the subject. It is not our meaning that the shippers ought to furnish a stock of such clothing, but that merely that before the people's departure is finally approved, it should be seen by the practical officer that they have with them, no matter from what source derived, a reasonable supply of the kind for the passage. The clothing of English emigrants to Australia has been subjected to an inspection of this description. Should it be found desirable to name the description and smallest quantity of warm clothing that could be passed, this could probably be easily done by the local authorities, taking care, however, not to entail any unnecessary expense, nor to maine anything unusual in the country, and difficult to procure.
Should the foregoing suggestions be approved it will remain to draw for the information and guidance of private parties, and to issue instructions on the subject to the authorities in the Straits of Malacca, and to the Governors of the respective West India Colonies.
up
rules
For the first purpose we have the honour to submit herewith, for Lord Stanley's consideration, a draft of the paper which we would propose to print.
In the first of the rules it contains we have left in blank the name of the office
at which parties are to apply for permission to import Chinese emigrants, not
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.