CO129-139 - Sir MacDonnell - 1869 [8-12] — Page 27

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

I have now to reply to your question as to how far the facts stated in the leading article alluded to of the China Mail are "correct." I believe them to be grossly exaggerated generally and, so far as they refer to occurrences here, to be entirely incorrect.

When the article appeared, I drew attention of the Emigration Agent and the Registrar General to the subject. The result of their inquiries is given in the report by the Emigration Officer and by F.M. Lister, the Acting Registrar General. Their evidence is conclusive against the probability of either Annamite men or women being amongst the emigrant passengers by the Pacific Mail Steamers. The evidence is enclosed in Enclosures 1 and 2.

Mr. Lister also proves that the writer of the statement which attracted your Excellency's attention was made acquainted with the entire falsity of that statement, as it affects this place, though he has never had the honesty to confess it. I am certain that both Mr. Thomsett and Mr. Lister took considerable pains to investigate the matter, and I can at least speak for myself, having on one occasion very carefully inspected all the women passengers by the steamer on 19th June, and I can vouch for it that I saw none on that occasion whom I did not believe to be of purely Chinese race.

Page 24

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However, a more refined version:

I have now to reply to your question as to how far the facts stated in the leading article alluded to of the China Mail are "correct." I believe them to be grossly exaggerated generally and, so far as they refer to occurrences here, to be entirely incorrect.

When the article appeared, I drew attention of the Emigration Agent and the Registrar General to the subject. The result of their inquiries is given in the report by the Emigration Officer and by F.M. Lister, the Acting Registrar General. Their evidence is conclusive against the probability of either Annamite men or women being amongst the emigrant passengers by the Pacific Mail Steamers, as is shown in the enclosed, Enclosures 1 and 2.

Mr. Lister also proves that the writer of the statement which attracted your Excellency's attention was made acquainted with the entire falsity of that statement, as it affects this place, though he has never had the honesty to confess it. I am certain that both Mr. Thomsett and Mr. Lister took considerable pains to investigate the matter, and I can at least speak for myself, having on one occasion very carefully inspected all the women passengers by the steamer on 19th June, and I can vouch for it that I saw none on that occasion whom I did not believe to be of purely Chinese race.

Page 24

has been kept as is, assuming it is a page numbering metadata. Other seemingly out-of-context lines are kept as they were, assuming they are remnants of the original OCR output that might be part of a larger context not provided here.

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2026-05-20 06:23:07 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct
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I have now to reply to your question as to how far the facts stated in the leading article alluded to of the China Mail are "correct." I believe them to be grossly exaggerated generally and, so far as they refer to occurrences here, to be entirely incorrect. When the article appeared, I drew attention of the Emigration Agent and the Registrar General to the subject. The result of their inquiries is given in the report by the Emigration Officer and by F.M. Lister, the Acting Registrar General. Their evidence is conclusive against the probability of either Annamite men or women being amongst the emigrant passengers by the Pacific Mail Steamers. The evidence is enclosed in Enclosures 1 and 2. Mr. Lister also proves that the writer of the statement which attracted your Excellency's attention was made acquainted with the entire falsity of that statement, as it affects this place, though he has never had the honesty to confess it. I am certain that both Mr. Thomsett and Mr. Lister took considerable pains to investigate the matter, and I can at least speak for myself, having on one occasion very carefully inspected all the women passengers by the steamer on 19th June, and I can vouch for it that I saw none on that occasion whom I did not believe to be of purely Chinese race. Page 24 D 10 I am 8 Jam one occasion 19€ June часе However, a more refined version: I have now to reply to your question as to how far the facts stated in the leading article alluded to of the China Mail are "correct." I believe them to be grossly exaggerated generally and, so far as they refer to occurrences here, to be entirely incorrect. When the article appeared, I drew attention of the Emigration Agent and the Registrar General to the subject. The result of their inquiries is given in the report by the Emigration Officer and by F.M. Lister, the Acting Registrar General. Their evidence is conclusive against the probability of either Annamite men or women being amongst the emigrant passengers by the Pacific Mail Steamers, as is shown in the enclosed, Enclosures 1 and 2. Mr. Lister also proves that the writer of the statement which attracted your Excellency's attention was made acquainted with the entire falsity of that statement, as it affects this place, though he has never had the honesty to confess it. I am certain that both Mr. Thomsett and Mr. Lister took considerable pains to investigate the matter, and I can at least speak for myself, having on one occasion very carefully inspected all the women passengers by the steamer on 19th June, and I can vouch for it that I saw none on that occasion whom I did not believe to be of purely Chinese race. Page 24 has been kept as is, assuming it is a page numbering metadata. Other seemingly out-of-context lines are kept as they were, assuming they are remnants of the original OCR output that might be part of a larger context not provided here.
Baseline (Original)
1 I 24 the abuses in which they result. I have. · now to reply to your question as to how for the facts stated in the leading article alluded to of the China mail are "correct. I believe them to be groply exaggerated generally and so far they refer to currences here to be entirely incorrect. When the article appeared I drew attention Registrar - of the Emigration Agent and the General to the subject. The result of their inquiries is given report by the Emigration Officer and by FM Lister the, Acting Registrar General. Thein evidence is conclusive against the : probability of either Annamite pusamen being amongst the Emigrant papengers by the Pacific Mail Steamers anew in the enclosed, men or Enclosures 1+2. D 10 and against the probability of there being even some Annamite oman in Hangthong Mo Lister also proves that the writer of the statement which attracted your Excellency's attention was made acquainted with the entire falsity of that statement, as it affects this place, though he has newer had the honesty to confefs it Jam 8. I am curtain that both Mr Thomsett and Mor Lister tack Considerable pains مال to investigate the matter, and I can at least speak for myself من Jom one o occasion having very carefully inspected sell the women papengers by the steamer of the I can mouch for it that I 19€ June saw none on that occasion whom I did not believe to be of purely Chinese race. часе
2026-05-20 06:23:07 · Baseline
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1

I

24

the abuses in which they result. I have.

· now to reply to

your question as to how

for the facts stated in the leading article alluded to of the China mail

are

"correct.

I believe them to be groply exaggerated

generally and so far

they refer to

currences here to be entirely incorrect.

When the article

appeared

I drew attention

Registrar

- of the Emigration Agent and the General to the subject. The result of their

inquiries is given report by the Emigration Officer and by FM Lister the, Acting Registrar General. Thein evidence is conclusive against the : probability of either Annamite pusamen being amongst the Emigrant papengers by the Pacific Mail Steamers

anew in the enclosed,

men or

Enclosures 1+2.

D 10

and

against the probability of there being

even some

Annamite

oman in

Hangthong

Mo Lister also proves that the writer of the statement which attracted your Excellency's attention was made acquainted with the entire falsity of that statement, as it affects this place, though he has newer had the honesty to confefs it

Jam

8. I am curtain that both Mr Thomsett

and Mor Lister tack Considerable pains

مال

to investigate the matter, and I can at least speak for myself

من

Jom one o

occasion

having very carefully inspected sell the women papengers by the steamer of the

I can mouch for it that I

19€ June

saw none on that occasion whom I did not believe to be of purely Chinese race.

часе

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