CO129-140 - Public Offices - 1869 — Page 485

Macdonnell was requested to consider whether, in view of the reported difficulty of procuring emigrants from China caused by the Convention of 1866, it might not be possible to obtain from Hongkong the small number (not exceeding 3000) annually required by the West Indian Colonies. In his answer dated 16 April last, Sir R. Macdonnell transmitted reports from Mr. Austin and Mr. Sampson (the former and the present Emigration Agents in China) stating that the Emigrants required could be obtained only by the employment of Native agents on the Mainland, with all the possible abuses involved in that system.

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And while he expressed his concurrence in those reports, he added that H. M. Government could not be expected to countenance so notorious a breach of Chinese Laws while the Chinese Government continued to insist on the convention of 1866. In consequence of these findings the idea of obtaining Emigrants from Hongkong was given up.

In the month of May, however, Sir R. Macdonnell reported that he had sanctioned the despatch of a Belgian ship, the Rederick, with migrants to Demerara, and in the following July he issued...

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