No. 2.
(No. 135.) My Lord,
Sir H. Parkes to Lord Stanley.--(Received August 9.)
Yokohama, June 12, 1868.
IN the beginning of last month it came to my knowledge that an English ship, the "Scioto," had been engaged at Yokohama to convey Japanese emigrants or coolies to the Sandwich Islands. Being aware, from past experience in China, of the misery that may ensue from a traffic in coolie labour, unless it be wisely regulated, I drew the attention of the Governor of Kanagawa to the subject, who informed me that he had given his assent to the embarkation for the Sandwich Islands of 170 or 180 Japanese labourers, but that he knew nothing of the terms on which they had been engaged. He added, however, that he should now give more attention to the matter.
Shortly afterwards I was visited by Mr. Van Reed, an American gentleman, who is called Consul-General for the Sandwich Islands, although that Power has not yet concluded a Treaty with Japan. He informed me that he had been commissioned by the Government of the Sandwich Islands to ship 350 Japanese labourers to those islands, and had engaged that number through the assistance of the Custom-house officers; but that a difficulty had arisen, after half the number had embarked, in consequence of the Governor of Kanagawa having required him to obtain the guarantee of a Treaty Power that the emigrants would be brought back to their country after having completed a term of three years' labour in the Hawaiian Islands. Mr. Van Reed asked me to give this guarantee, but I declined to engage Her Majesty's Government in any responsibility of this nature.
I failed to obtain much definite information from Mr. Van Reed as to the terms of the contract under which he was engaging these emigrants. He produced a document purporting to be a contract written in Japanese which he could not read himself, and to the terms of which he therefore could not speak with any precision.
As I was then on the point of leaving for Osaka, I could do no more than warn Her Majesty's Consul to take all the measures in his power to see that the comfort and health of the passengers were properly considered, in case they should be shipped in an English vessel.
I also pointed out to the Mikado's Ministers, Higashi Kuzé and the Prince of Hizen, who had just arrived, the necessity of care being exercised in the supervision of emigration. On my return to Yokohama I found that the "Scioto" had left for the Sandwich Islands with the 170 men who had been first shipped, and that the new Government had objected to more men being engaged. The latter had offered no objection to the departure of those labourers who had been embarked before their tenure of office commenced, and the ship was cleared in the usual way at the Custom-house.
On the 2nd instant I received a letter from the United States' Minister, copy of which I inclose, informing me that he had made applicable to Japan, by a notification which I also forward, an Act of Congress prohibiting the Coolie trade in China in American ships.
It appeared to me that the most effective means of correcting possible abuses in this respect would be to induce the Japanese Government to become sensible of the duties which they owe to their own people, and I accordingly communicated to the Japanese Ministers the Convention concluded at Peking in March 1866 between the Ministers of England and France and the Prince of Kung, as containing the result of a wide experience gained in China in the matter of Coolie emigration. I inclose copies of my letter to the Japanese Ministers, and also of my reply to the Minister of the United States.
In the accompanying despatch Mr. Mitford reports that, in accordance with my direction, he has also brought the subject to the notice of the Japanese Government at Osaka. Mr. Fletcher has also furnished me with the inclosed report of the circumstances attending the shipment of the party of emigrants who left in the "Scioto," and which appear to have been entirely free from objection.
As I do not think it likely that the enterprise will be soon repeated, if at all, I am not disposed, upon my present information, to regard this subject as one which calls for any special regulation on the part of Her Majesty's Government. Japan can ill-spare any portion of its industrial population, and while large tracts of land remain uncultivated in Yezo, and even in the north of the main Island of Nippon, the emigration from Japan of its agricultural labourers would appear to be undesirable.
I have, &c.
(Signed) HARRY S. PARKES.
Page 423
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No. 2.
(No. 135.) My Lord,
Sir H. Parkes to Lord Stanley.--(Receiced August 9.)
Yokohama, June 12, 1868. IN the beginning of last month it came to my knowledge that an English ship, the Scioto," had been engaged at Yokohama to convey Japanese enigrants or coolies to the Sandwich Islands. Being aware, from past experience in China, of the misery that may thought it desirable to attend a traffic in coolie labour, unless it be wisely regulated, draw the attention of the Governor of Kanagawa to the subject, who informed me that he had given his assent to the embarkation for the Sandwich Islands of 170 or 180 Japanese labourers, but that he knew nothing of the terms ou which they had been engaged. He added. however, that he should now give more attention to the matter.
Shortly afterwards I was visited by Mr. Van Reed, an American gentleman, who is called Consul-General for the Sandwich Islands, although that Power has not yet concluded a Treaty with Japan. He informed me that he had been commissioned by the Government of the Sandwich Islands to ship 350 Japanese labourers to those islands, and had engaged that number through the assistance of the Custom-house officers; but that a difficulty had arisen, after half the number had embarked, in consequence of the Governor of Kanagawa having required him to obtain the guarantee of a Treaty Power that the emigrants would be brought back to their country after having completed a term Mr. Van Reed asked me to give this of three years' labour in the Hawaiian Islands. guarantee, but I declined to engage Her Majesty's Government in any responsibility of
this nature.
I failed to obtain much definite information from Mr. Van Reed as to the terms of the He produced a document contract under which he was engaging these emigrants. purporting to be a contract written in Japanese which he could not read himself, and to the terms of which he therefore could not speak with any precision.
As I was then on the point of leaving for Osaka, I could do no more than warn Her Majesty's Consul to take all the measures in his power to see that the comfort and health of the passengers were properly considered, in case they should be shipped in an English vessel.
I also pointed out to the Mikado's Ministers, Higashi Kuzé and the Prince of Hizen, who had just arrived, the necessity of care being exercised in the supervision of emigration. On my return to Yokohama I found that the "Scioto" had left for the Sandwich Islands with the 170 men who had been first shipped, and that the new Government had objected to more men being engaged. The latter had offered no objection to the departure of those labourers who had been embarked before their tenure of office commenced, and the ship was cleared in the usual way at the Custom-house.
On the 2nd instant I received a letter from the United States' Minister, copy of which I inclose, informing me that he had made applicable to Japan, by a notification which I also forward, an Act of Congress prohibiting the Coolie trade in China in American ships.
It appeared to me that the most effective means of correcting possible abuses in this respect would be to induce the Japanese Government to become sensible of the duties which they owe to their own people, and I accordingly communicated to the Japanese Ministers the Convention concluded at Peking in March 1866 between the Ministers of England and France and the Prince of Kung, as containing the result of a wide experience gained in China in the matter of Coolie emigration. I inclose copies of my letter to the Japanese Ministers, and also of my reply to the Minister of the United States.
In the accompanying despatch Mr. Mitford reports that, in accordance with my direction he has also brought the subject to the notice of the Japanese Government at Osaka. Mr. Fletcher has also furnished me with the inclosed report of the circumstances attending the shipment of the party of emigrants who left in the "Scioto," and which appear to have been entirely free from objection.
As I do not think it likely that the enterprise will be soon repeated, if at all, I am not disposed, upon my present information, to regard this subject as one which calls for any special regulation on the part of Her Majesty's Government. Japan can ill-spare any portion of its industrial population, and while large tracts of land remain uncultivated in Yezo, and even in the north of the main Island of Nippon, the emigration from Japan of its agricultural labourers would appear to be undesirable.
I have, &c. (Signed)
HARRY S. PARKES.
£
1
423
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