Emigration system.
One fact, however, remains untouched, the Existence of Barracoons & viz kidnapping with all their atrocities. It is useless therefore to throw the blame on the Chinese brokers, or Endeavour by such means to free the Macao Govt from its responsibilities. Such an attempt imparte an air of suspicion to the issue of this Report & makes it valueless.
I have se... (s?) 8. B. Robertson Covent × Boletim do Governo 19th April 331 86524 fr
Incl: I in Consul Robertson's Desp. of 29th April 1868.
THE MACAO COOLIE TRADE.
The Echo do Povo of the 18th instant contains the following Report to the Governor of Macao on the subject of Coolie Emigration, copied from the Boletim do Governo, the Official organ of the Government of Macao
SIR:
1.-Your Excellency having been pleased to appoint me Superintendent of Chinese Emigration ad interim, I have held it my principal duty to respond to the confidence Y. E. has honoured me with, exerting all my efforts towards the efficient discharge of the commission entrusted to me, and it is now incumbent upon me to lay before Y. E. the system of supervision I have followed, in addition to which I beg permission to present to Y. E.'s consideration the views which, experience and reflection have suggested, to my mind.
2.-Chinese Emigration at Macao has of late years assumed proportions of such magnitude as to become an object worthy of the solicitude of Y. E., which has been manifested in the various provisions decreed by Y. E., all of which tend to prove that the object chiefly occupying the attention of the Government at the head of which Y. E. is so worthily placed is not, as at times has been asserted, the material interests that may accrue to the country from Emigration, but the great principles of justice and humanity, which are involved in this difficult problem; and at the same time the necessity of protecting so many thousands of Chinese who come annually to Macao to seek the protection of the Portuguese Government in embarking for foreign countries.
3.-Penetrated with these good intentions on the part of Y. E. and desirous of being of service to my country, I have devoted myself, notwithstanding my own occupations, towards fulfilling, to the extent of my poor abilities, the duties Y. E. has seen fit to impose upon me, in the discharge of which I have been inspired with no other sentiment than that of contributing my mite towards the solution of this thorny question.
4.-The first truth that becomes obvious from a study of this subject, and which makes itself most evident to any one who places himself in daily contact with Chinese emigrants, is the great usefulness that results or may result from emigration to the immense population superabounding in the vast Empire of China.
5.-The state almost of nudity and of emaciation exhibited by the emigrants when they arrive at Macao gives a very sad and painful idea of the poverty in which they live in their native homes, whence, at last, they are impelled by necessity to depart in search of some relief in emigration.
6.-In view of the appearance of these men, and after hearing their repeated complaints of the want of the necessaries of life which they endure in their villages, it is unnecessary to recur to other observations and proofs in order to convince one's self that the great activity in Chinese Emigration witnessed at Macao is not, assuredly, to be explained by attributing it to an artificial cause, such for instance as ambition excited by illegitimate means, deception, or the like.
7.-It is sufficient to examine near at hand and to question the emigrants themselves in order to feel sure that the true motive which impels so many thousands of Chinese to embark from Macao for Peru, Havana, and other countries, is the great poverty and the frightful misery arising from the growing inequality between the population of China and the means of subsistence that the country affords. It would seem, therefore, that I may be excused from enlarging upon this point.
8.-If emigration is a benefit, and an immense benefit, for China, it must also be admitted that it is sufficiently abused, whilst those who abuse it the most are the Chinese themselves, who, acting indubitably in a base interest, have recourse at times to illegitimate means for the purpose of victimizing their own countrymen.
9.-Misery, as is a well-known fact, is credulous and prone to illusions, and easily allows itself to be misled by whatever offers it a prospect of amelioration. This predisposing circumstance, and still more, the natural timidity of the Chinese, on the one side, and on the other the strange love of falsehood that characterizes them, has opened a vast and fertile field to the illicit machinations of greed and cupidity, principally on the part of the persons called Chinese brokers (correctores chines), employed in the recruitment of emigrants.
10.-Convinced of these truths, I have regulated in conformity with my impressions on the subject the superintendence with which Y. E. has charged me.
11.-I have laid especial stress on making the emigrants understand the true state of their situation, and on leading them to declare freely their resolution, whatever it might be, assuring them of the entire protection of the Government, and encouraging them to make up their minds independently of any external influence and to speak the truth without reserve.
12.-The emigrants, as is provided by the regulations, are subject to two examinations in the presence of the Superintendent.
The first takes place when the emigrants present themselves to be registered at the Superintendent's office, and the second three days later, at the time of signing the Contract.
13.-Before registering, I have always caused the contract to be read and explained in the particular dialect of each group of emigrants, accompanying this explanation with some further information respecting the length of voyage, the nature of work to which they are principally destined, and other circumstances connected with the contract and with the country to which they propose emigrating, solely with the object of enabling the emigrants to make up their minds thereafter with as full knowledge as is possible of the matter.
14.-Y. E. will readily perceive, that in order to make these various explanations understood by the emigrants, the intelligent co-operation is required of interpreters, speaking fluently in the different dialects of the Chinese who present themselves at the superintendency for the purpose of emigrating.
15.-The emigrants are almost altogether Pun-ti, Hak-ka, and Hok-lo Chinese, these being the three races inhabiting the Province of Kwangtung, with natives of the Province of Fokien.
16.-The two linguists of the Procurador's department who do duty alternately at the superintendency speak with proficiency the Pun-ti and Hak-ka dialects, and have shewn themselves to be zealous and active, to which it gives me pleasure solemnly to bear witness here. But as regards the Hok-lo and Fokien dialects, the superintendency has hitherto been in want of a proper and skilful interpreter, a deficiency which I have been able temporarily to supply by admitting, with Your Excellency's sanction, a trusted Chinese interpreter of my own.
17.-After being registered, three days are allowed to the emigrants for reflection upon the engagements they are about to ...
Emigration system.
One fact, however, remains untouched, the Existence of Barracoons &
viz kidnapping with
all their atrocities. It is useless therefore to
throw the blame
th
the Chinese brokers, or
Endeavour by such means to free the macao
Govt from its responsibilities. Such an
an air of suspicion to the
issue of
attempt imparte
this Report &
& makes it valueless.
I have se
(s?) 8. B. Robertson
Covent
× Boletim do forens 19th apul
331 86524 fr
Incl: I in Consul Robertson's Desp. of 29th April 1868.
THE MACAO COOLIE TRADE.
The Echo do Povo of the 18th instant contains the following Report to the Gov- ernor of Macao on the subject of Coolie Emigration, copied from the Boletim do Governo, the Official organ of the Gov- ernment of Macao
SIR:
1.-Your Excellency having been pleased to appoint me Superintendent of Chinese Emigration ad interim, 1 have held it my principal duty to respond to the confidence Y. E. has honoured me with, exerting all my efforts towards the efficient discharge of the commission entrusted to ine, and it is now incumbent upon me to lay before
Y. E. the system of supervision I have followed, in addition to which I beg per- mission to present to Y. E.'s consideration the views which, experience and reflection have suggested, to my mind.
2.-Chinese Einigration at Macao has of late years assumed proportions of such magnitude as to become an object worthy of the solicitude of Y. E., which has been manifested in the various provisions decreed by Y. E., all of which tend to prove that the object chiefly occupying the attention of the Government at the bead of which Y. E. is so worthily placed is not, as at times has been asserted, the material inte- rests that may accrue to the country from Emigration, but the great principles of justice and humanity, which, are involved in this difficult problem; and at the same time the necessity of protecting so many thou- sands of Chinese who come annually to Macro to seek the protection of the Portu- guese Government in embarking for foreign countries.
3.--Penetrated with these good inten- tions on the part of Y. E. and desirous of being of service to my country, I have de- voted myself, notwithstanding my own oc-: cupations, towards fulfilling, to the extent of my poor abilities, the duties Y. E. has seen fit to impose upon me, in the discharge of which I have been inspired with no other sentiment than that of contributing my mite towards the solution of this thomy question.
4.The first truth that becomes obvious from a study of this subject, and which makes itself most evident to any one who places himself in daily contact with Chinese emigrants, is the great usefulness that results or may result from emigration to the immense population superabounding in the vast Empire of China.
5.-The state almost of nudity and of emaciation exhibited by the emigrants when they arrive at Macao gives a very sad and painful idea of the poverty in which they live in their native homes, whence, at last, they are impelled by necessity to depart in search of some relief in emigration. 6.In view of the appearance of these men, and after hearing their repeated com- plaints of the want of the necessaries of life which they endure in their villages, it is unnecessary to recur to other observa- tions and proofs in order to convince ne's. self that the great activity in Chinese Emigration witnessed at Macao is not, assuredly, to be explained by attributing as to an artificial cause, such for instance, it, ambition excited by illegitimate means, deception, or the like.
7.It is sufficient to examine near at band and to question the emigrants them- selves in order to feel sure that the true motive which impels so many thousands of Chinese to embark froin Macao for Pern, Havana, and other countries, is the great poverty and the frightful misery arising from the growing inequality between the population of China and the means of sub- sistence that the country affords. It would seem, therefore, that I may be excused from enlarging upon this point.
8.-If emigration is a benefit, and an immense benefit, for China, it must also be admitted that it is sufficiently abused, whilst those who abuse it the most are the Chinese themselves, who, acting indubit- ably in a base interest, have recourse at times to illegitimate means for the purpose of victimizing their own countrymen,
2-Misery, as is a well-known fact, is i credulous and prone to illusions, and easily allows itself to be misled by whatever of- fers it a prospect of amelioration. This predisposing circumstance, and still more, the natural timidity of the Chinese, on the one side, and on the other the strange love of falsehood that characterizes them, has opened a vast and fertile field to the illicit machinations of greed and cupidity, privoi pally on the part of the persons called Chi- hese brokers (correctores (hinus), employed in the recruitment of emigrants.
10.-Convinced of these truths, I have regulated in conformity with my impres sions on the subject the superintendence i with which Y. E. has charged me.
11-1 bave laid especial stress on mak- ing the emigrants understand the true state of their situation, and on leading them to declare freely their resolution, whatever it might be, assuring them of the entire protection of the Government, and encour- aging them to make up their minds inde- pendently of any external influence and to speak the truth without reserve.
With this i object in view, I have had recourse to long and diffuse explanations, and to repeated questionings and interrogations, such as might indeed scem exaggerated were not the Chinese people in question, whose in- sincere disposition is the greatest obstacle I have encountered against the extirpation of abuses.
12.-The emigrants, as is provided by the regulatious, are subject to two exami Latious in the presence of the Superinten- deut.
The first takes place when the emi- grants present themselves to be registered at the Superintendent's office, and the se- cond three days later, at the time of sign- ing the Contract.
13.-Before registering, I have always caused the contract to be read and explain- ed in the particular dialect of each
group
of emigrants, accompanying this explanation with some further information respecting the length of voyage, the nature of work to which they are principally destined, and other circumstances conuected with the con- tract and with the country to which they propose emigrating, solely with the object of enabling the emigrants to make up their minds thereafter with as full knowledge as is possible of the matter.
14.-Y. E. will readily perceive, that in order to make these various explanations understood by the emigrants, the intelligent co-operation is required of interpreters, speaking fluently in the different dialects of the Chinese who present themselves at the superintendency for the purpose of ewigra- ting.
15. The emigrants are almost altogether Pun-ti, Hak-ka, and Hok-lo Chinese, these being the three races inhabiting the Pro- vince of Kwangtung, with natives of the Province of Fokieu.
16. The two linguists of the Procurador's department who do duty alternately at the superintendency speak with proficiency the Pun-ti and Hak-ka dialects, and have shewn themselves to be zealous and active, to which it gives me pleasure solemnly to Bear witness here. But as regards the Hok-lo and Fokien dialects, the superintendency has hitherto been in want of a proper and skilful interpreter, a deficiency which I have been able temporarily to supply by admit- ting, with Your Excellency's sanction, a trusted Chinese interpreter of my own.
17. --After being registered, three days are allowed to the emigrants for reflection upon the engagements they are about to
1
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