CO129-154 - Public Offices - 1871 — Page 8

House

of Common

Tunes-Tuesday 20 June 1871.

7

SHIPMENT OF COOLIES AT MACAO.

In answer to Sir J. LAWRENCE,

MĚ,

KNATORBULL-HUGESSEN said, -The hon. gentle- mau bas called attention to a subject of considerable impor- tance. It involves a legal question which I am not compe. tout to solve, but 1 will state to the House the bare facts of the case. In January last a Chinese coolie was arrested at 1 Hongkong, charged with piracy and murder committed on board a French vessel, La Nouvelle Pénélope. This vessel had been employed in what is called the Coolie Immigratiou Service, and had on board several hundre·l coolies, shipped at the Chinese port of Macao, of whom it was alleged about 100 had been kidnapped. It was not pretended that the pri Boner was kidnapped, for, in fact, he pleaded an alibi, but was recognized as one of the ringleaders of the party which overpowered the erew of the vessel and murdered the cap- tain and eight seamen, The Chief Justice of Hongkong directed this man to be discharged upon a writ of Habeas Corpus, the main ground of his decision being that persons about to be made slaves had a right to recover their liberty if they could, and that in so doing he had committed no offence over which the Courts of Mongkong had jurisdiction. The Governor, however, upon an information for pirzoy laid by the Attorney-General under an ordinance in force in the colony, ordered his re-arrest and committal for trial, and the Chief Justice again ordered his discharge. Under these circumstances, the Governor telegraphed home, the opinion of the law officers of the Crown has been takzu, and that opinion is to the effect that the crime charged against the prisoner is a crime against the common law of nations, and that he was rightfully arrested, and should be brought to trial for the same.

In reply to Sir J. LAWRENCE,

Lord ENFIELD said,Reports have at different times reached Her Majesty's Government of irregular practices at Macao in regard to the collection and shipment of coolies, and they have brought the same under the native of the Portuguese Government, who have taken steps through the Governor of Macao for their correction, by framing à code of regulations for the engagement and shipment of coolies. which, it is to be hoped, may prevent the repetition of such abuses. With respect to the French Government, no re- cant communications have passed on the subject of coolie emigration. With regard to the correspondence referred to by the hon. baronet, such portions of it shall be presented as will not involve any breach of official or international etiquette.

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