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Sub-enclosure
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, July 14th, 1899.
Is the letter addressed to Lord CHARLES BERESFORD by the Hon. Dr. Ho Kai and Hon. WEI YUK attention was drawn to the position of Chinese British subjects in China, the difficulty they experience in securing recognition and protection, and the objections they entertain to the observance of the rule of distinctive dress, which has been offered to them as a means of overcoming this difficulty. His Lordship's sympathy was excited and in his book, "The Break-up of China," he says:--" The statement with regard to the position of those Chinese who have become British subjects is not generally known, and, I submit, calls for the earnest attention of the Associated Chambers. It cannot add to the prestige of the British Empire, nor can it improve British trade and commerce, if this state of affairs is allowed to continue. There can be no possible reason why a Chinese who becomes a British subject should not enjoy all the privileges and advantages which are available to any other British national. Why should a Chinaman who wishes to become a British subject be compelled to submit to what he considers degrading and humiliating regulations a bit more than those other nationalities and creeds who wear the dress of their people, and who form the larger proportion of the millions who are proud to be the subjects of the Queen of England?" The distinguished writer does not appear to have made enquiries as to the arguments on the opposite side, or, if he ascertained that there were such arguments, to have thought them worthy of mention. The question, however, is one of considerable importance, and although, as Lord CHARLES BERESFORD says, there can be no possible reason why a Chinese who becomes a British subject should not enjoy all the privileges and advantages which are available to any other British national, there are reasons, which have been repeatedly stated officially, and which appear to possess considerable force, why Chinese who desire to enjoy the advantages of British nationality should be required to clearly proclaim their nationality.
In November, 1866, a notification was published that British subjects of Chinese descent had by treaty no right of residence in the interior of China, and that if they were found so residing they were liable to be brought to the nearest port by the Chinese authorities as British subjects to be dealt with in accordance with the rules and regulations in such cases made and provided. In 1868 a circular was issued by the Minister at Peking which laid down that in the event of persons of Chinese descent electing to sink their British nationality they could not claim any exemption from the jurisdiction and laws of the country they adopted of their own free will, and enjoined all British subjects of Chinese descent while residing or being in Chinese territory to discard the Chinese costume and adopt some other dress or costume whereby they might be readily distinguished from the native population.
In the case of a Straits born Chinaman who recently claimed British nationality upon getting into trouble at Amoy the position was stated in an official despatch by the Colonial Secretary of the Straits as follows: "Her Majesty's Government cannot allow persons of Chinese race born in this colony to enjoy the benefits of a double nationality, that is to say, it cannot permit them, after acting as the petitioner has done as if they were subjects of the Emperor of China by residing and owning property in the interior forbidden to British subjects, afterwards to deny Chinese nationality and obtain as British subjects that full protection and countenance which can be accorded only to those who have consistently from their birth conducted themselves and been registered as British subjects." In a letter to the Times suggested by this case Mr. PICKERING, formerly Protector of Chinese at Singapore, pointed out that in China the very fact of shaving the head and wearing a queue is an acknowledgement of subjection to the dynasty which reigns at Peking, and any Chinese official is justified in considering such a person under his jurisdiction; for years after the appearance in China of the Tsing dynasty the Chinese were willing to suffer persecution rather than submit to the tonsure, but for a century past the Chinese have come to look on the pigtail as a vital mark of distinction between the "man" and the barbarian." The Straits born Chinese, Mr. PICKERING went on to say, "when in China wear the queue for fear lest they may be identified with Europeans or with any race not Chinese. Whatever these people, born under our rule, educated in our schools, and made wealthy by our protection, may say or write, in their heart of hearts they consider themselves Chinese, despise all other races as being inferior foreigners, and only plead British nationality to enforce a claim or when they are in trouble. If Straits born Chinese wish for the protection of our Minister and Consuls when in a foreign land they must be prepared to submit to such Foreign Office regulations regarding dress, coiffure, etc., as will enable both Chinese and British officials in China to distinguish British subjects from Chinese who own allegiance to Peking." These remarks apply equally to Hongkong Chinese.
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Sub-enclosure
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, July 14th, 1899.
Is the letter addressed to Lord CHARLES BERESFORD by the Hon. Dr. Ho Kat and Hon. WEI AYUK attention was drawu to the position of Chinese British subjects in China, the difficulty they experience in securing recognition and protection, aud the objections they entertain to the obser vance of the rule of distinctive dress, which has been offered to them as a means of overcoming this difficulty. His Lordship's sympathy was excited and in his book, "The Break-up of China," he says:--" The "statement with regard to the position of "those Chinese who have become British 'subjects is not generally known, and, I submit, calls for the earnest attention "of the Associated Chambers. It cannot "add to the prestige of the British Empire,
nor can it improve British trade and com- merce, if this state of affairs is allowed to "continue. There can be no possible rea-
14
son why a Chinese who becomes a British subject should not enjoy all the privileges "and advantages which are available to any "other British national. Why should a
।
Chinaman who wishes to become a British "subject be compelled to submit to what he "considers degrading and humiliating re- gulatious a bit more than those other na- "tionalities and creeds who wear the dress
"of their people, and who form the larger
EL
proportion of the millions who are proud "to be the subjects of the queen of Eng- "land ?" The distinguished writer does not appear to have made enquiries as to the arguments on the opposite side, or, if he ascertained that there were such arguments, to have thought them worthy of mention. The question, however, is one of consider- able importance, and although, as Lord CHARLES BERESFORD says, there can be no possible reason why a Chinese who becomes a British subject should not enjoy all the privileges and advantages which are available to any other British untional, there are reasous, which have been repeatedly stated officially, and which appear to possess considerable force, why Chinese who desire to enjoy the advantages of British nation- ality should be required to clearly proclaim their nationality.
In November, 1866, a notification was published that British subjects of Chinese descent had by treaty no right of resi dence in the interior of China, and that if they were found so residing they were, liable to be brought to the nearest port by the Chinese authorities as British subjects to be dealt with in accordance with the rules and regulations in such cases roade and
pro- vided. In 1868 a circular was issued by the Minister at Peking which laid down that in the event of persons of Chinese des-
cent
$2
V.0.
25027
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PEG2 18 SEP 09
cent electing to sink their British nationality they could not claim any exmption from the jurisdiction and laws of the country they adopted of their own free will, and en- joined all British subjects of Chinese des- cent while residing or being in Chinese territory to discard the Chinese costume and adopt some other dress or cos- tume whereby they might be readily distinguished from the native population
In the case of a Straits born Chinaman who recently claimed British nationality upon getting into trouble at Amoy the position was stated in an official despatch by the Colonial Secretary of the Straits as follows: "Her Majesty's Government cannot allow persons of Chinese race born in this colony to enjoy the benefits of a double nationality, that is to say, it cannot "permit them, after acting as the petitioner "has done as if they were subjects of the Emperor of China by residing and owning property in the interior forbidden to "British subjects, afterwards to deny "Chinese nationality and obtain as British 'subjects that full protection and counten- 'ance which can be accorded only to those "who have consistently from their birth "conducted themselves and been registered "as British subjects." In a letter to the Times suggested by this case Mr. PICKER- ING, formerly Protector of Chinese at Sin- gapore, pointed out that in China the very fact of shaving the head and wearing a queue is an acknowledgement of subjection to the dynasty which reigns ut Peking, and any Chinese official is justified in cousiler- ing such a person under his jurisdiction; for years after the appearance in China of the Teing dynasty the Chinese wore willing to suffer persecution rather than submit to the tonsure, but for a cen- tury past the Chinese have come to look! on the pigtail as a vital mark of dis- tinction between the "man" and the barbarian." The Straits born Chinese, Mr. PICKERING went on to say, "when in "China wear the queue for fear lest they may be identified with Europeans or with auy race not Chinese. Whatever these people, born under our rule, educated in "our schools, and made wealthy by our 'protection, may say or write, in their heart "of hearts they consider themselves Chi- "nose, despise all other races as being in- "ferior foreigners, and only plead British nationality to enforce a claim or when they are in trouble. If Straits born Chi- "ness wish for the protection of our Minis- *ter and Consuls when in a foreign land "they must be prepared to submit to such Foreign Office regulations regarding "dress, coiffure, etc., as will enable both
Chinese and British officials in China to 'distinguish British subjects from Chinese "who own allegiance to Peking." These remarks apply equally to Hongkong Chi-
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