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Secondly, by special repression, or rather oppression, of the Chinese immigrants, who are burdened with extra taxes, costly licences, and damaging restrictions imposed in order that they may be bought off afterwards at high price; who are prohibited the exercise of their own national rites and usages, and forced to adopt those framed by the Spanish clergy; who are habitually denied justice and even ordinary protection within the local tribunals and without; and who yet are the chief--I might almost say the only-link on Philippine ground between native produce and foreign capital, native purchase and foreign supply. Hence every injury inflicted on the Chinese is through them inflicted on foreign enterprise at large, but, owing to our own vast commercial establishments on the China Coast close by, more particularly on the British. This the Administration knows; and in its conduct towards the Chinese does but carry on, though feebly, the policy of Governor Anda, who, to damage the English, then at war with Spain, decreed "that all the Chinese in the Philippine Islands should be put to death;" and embodied, though not quite so energetically, in the anti-Chinese Decrees of 1639, 1709, 1759, 1804, and 1867, Governor Anda's Ordinance, dated 1762.
Thirdly, by protective or prohibitive Custom dues, heavy and at times illegally- imposed harbour dues, and an entire commercial code, drawn up as far as possible on obsolete pseudo-protectionist principles, derived from the ignorance of times which, for Europe in general, ceased some centuries back, but which for the Hispano-Philippine Colony exist in full vigour at this day.
Fourthly, by innumerable daily vexations inflicted on foreign traders---as, for example, capricious visits of Custom-house officers and coastguards on board vessels in habour, with the view of extorting money, even after every regulation has been complied with; unjust seizures and confiscations of objects not truly liable to duty; wearisome detentions; arbitrary fines imposed on vessels, captains, crews, and consignees on merely frivolous protexts; besides an infinity of minutious, troublesome and not seldom contradictory regulations, the observance of one of which may often involve, or at least lead to, the con- travention of another, and a fine to follow. With these annoyances foreign traders and ship-masters, though grumbling, ordinarily end by putting up, partly in view of consider- able profits to be made otherwise in the market, but chiefly because convinced, and rightly so, that special complaints, particularly if put under official form, are often dangerous, almost always useless, where the system is rotten all through.
Fifthly, by the almost total, but not involuntary nor inculpable absence of the usual facilitations to seaboard approach, no lighthouses, the solitary beacon of Corrigidor excepted, no signal-marks, no buoys, no wharves, no landing-stages, no dredges-objects for a tolerable sufficiency of which the copious revenue provided by the heavy harbour dues, the fines imposed, and other exactions might be amply enough, but to none of which a fraction even of that revenue is applied. And here, as akin to the matter, should be mentioned that the non-existence of submarine telegraphic communication with the outer world, which might easily be laid down via Hong Kong, is chiefly due to the deliberate aversion of the Hispano-Philippine Administration from free intercourse between this Colony and Europe, even Spain herself.
Sixthly, by the tobacco monopoly, an organized evil sketched out, it seems, as early as 1650, but not fully established in its actual form till 1780. Its details are too vast for investigation in a summary Report like the present. Enough here to say that it not only cuts off but ruins what might, but for it, be of all branches of Philippine trade the most advantageous to Spaniards, foreigners, and natives alike, and which now, to secure a small, delusive, but immediate profit for the first of these three classes, maintains, within the tobacco-growing districts, viz., Cagayan, New Viscaya, Isabel, Abra, and the two Ilocos, all provinces of the upper half of Luzon, containing a population of about 500,000, and an extent of nearly 5,000,000 square acres, that is, equal to Wales, a system of oppression towards the natives exceeding in injustice and cruelty, by the avowal of a recent Spanish See the writer, anything practised in the slave-holding regions of the New World. "Memoria sobre el desestanto del Tabaco en las Islas Filipinas" ("Memorandum on the doing away with the Tobacco Monopoly in the Philippines"), by Don J. S. Agius, of Manila, 1871, as also F. Jagor's "Travels in the Philippines," chap. xxv (The Tobacco Monopoly), pp. 324-339, both trustworthy sources of information. As to foreigners, the existing monopoly means, of course, absolute exclusion from all direct profit or share in that department of produce and trade.
Seventhly, by direct and official attempts made from time to time to impose new regulations and restrictions, which, if put in effect, would ruinously cripple all foreign trade and enterprise within this Colony. Thus, in June this year (1877), appeared in the "Official Gazette an order enjoining all foreign houses of business to keep their books henceforth in the Spanish language and on the Spanish system; also imposing a most
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exorbitant stamp-duty on all business papers, documents, bills, and even correspondence; and moreover extending official supervision at will to the most private and confidential This Decree the Government was however a proceedings of the houses themselves. fortnight later compelled publicly to cancel and withdraw, in face of the determined opposition organized, under the lead of the British Consulate, by all foreigners, to its execution.
To the above-stated seven limitations, or impediments intentionally thrown in the way of foreigners, might be added certain annoyances and restrictions of uninor importance, such as the tampering with and occasional non-delivery of letters by the Spanish post- office; the prohibition of all public religious observances except those after the Spanish mode; a veto on the publication of books, periodicals, newspapers, and even almanacks, within the Philippines, or their importation from without, unless they have previously passed through the ordeal of Spanish official and clerical censorship; a generally unfriendly tone of the local daily press, which is under strict official direction and control; and other trifles, vexatious enough, but not requiring more than a summary and passing allusion in a Report of this nature.
From this statement it is sufficiently evident that the attitude of the Hispano- Philippine Administration towards foreign enterprise, trade, and intercourse at large, is not of a very encouraging character. Exceptions of course there are, and honourable ones, but this Report deals with what is habitually, not with what may be exceptionally, the case with classes, not with individuals.
I now come to the attitude of the Administration towards British trade and enterprise in particular.
Till latterly, of all foreigners none were more heartily disliked by the Spaniards here than the English. Of late, however, the preference of dislike and distrust has been transferred from them, at least in some regards, to the Germans. The causes of this change are to be sought the most part in intra-European politics and relations strangers to this Report; but one local circunstance, namely, the line taken up by the Germans regarding Sulu, and matters connected with that part of the Philippine Archipelago, should be noted as the chief topic of Spanish dissatisfaction out here.
Placed in a manner between Germany and England, each pressing on it with almost equal urgency by their trade and enterprize (for with other and political considerations I have here nothing to do), the Hispano-Phillipine Administration not unnaturally seeks in the latter a sort of counterpoise to the former. If foreigners needs must extend their commerce and intercourse in this direction, British encroachment is, on the whole (thus runs the modern Spanish verdict), more tolerable, and above all less dangerous, than German; and hence it comes that, though taking things in the sum, the Administration neither departs, nor is soon likely to depart, from its exclusive principles, except when one Yet British trade and enterprize find at present, way or other constrained to do so. owing to the motives above mentioned, more of toleration, nay, even in special instances, of encouragement, than they did in the past, before Germany came to the front. This position of things may, and probably will, last yet for a while. It is one of which we, conscious that we neither have in present nor in prospect other interests in the Philippines than merely those of trade and commerce, may, I think, fairly take advantage. Spanish jealousy, coupled as it is with Spanish weakness, bears with it less danger to our commerce in these parts than German activity, though temporarily screened under a surface co-operation, the introducer of a real and perilous rivalry.
Summing up, I should say that, from the side of the Hispano-Philippine Administra- tion, British trade and British commercial establishments on the immediate sea coast, and more particularly at Manila itself, have not much, indeed, to expect, but have also little to fear, in the present condition of affairs.
It is otherwise with enterprizes undertaken inland, or on the remoter islands, as factories, plantations, farms, mines, and the like. From these I should distinctly dissuade. The old exclusionist spirit, free to its old devices in remoter places, and manifesting itself by covert annoyances, hostile instigations, indefinite delay or absolute denegation of justice, capricious interferences, and the thousand other vexations by which a practically irresponsible Administration can make itself disagreeable where it chooses, is not likely to allow any such enterprizes a fair chance of success, This, too, past experience unhappily confirms.
The clergy, too, awakening every now and again from their usual good-natured torpor, are at times dangerous enemies to English enterprizes and English men in the Philippines. Not to dwell on the well-known events of 1762, and the horrible massacre of 1819, in both of which the clergy were, it is stated, the main instigators, I have myself known instances of the most spiteful calumnies, the most damaging denunciations, directed by
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