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the ships. It is in these circumstances and in order that
British ships may not participate in a trade which might
entail ill-treatment of Chinese which British Authorities
could not prevent, that the Hongkong law does not allow
contract coolies to be carried to foreign countries in
British ships and that licences to carry even free coolies
to certain countries have been withheld till comparatively
recently. In the latter connection I would invite attention
to my Despatch No. 321 dated the 9th. August, 1904, and 34431
to Lord Knutsford's and Mr. Chamberlain's Despatches of
1892 and 1902 referred to in it.
4.
The natural result of these
restrictions has been that all contract labour from China
to other than British Colonies is carried by foreign
vessels. From the point of view of British shipping this
is neither expedient or desirable. In a sense also the
chances of improper treatment of Chinese in foreign
countries is less than it was in former times the Chinese
being in greater numbers and therefore of more influence in
the countries to which they emigrate and the Chinese
Government having now treaty relations with the Governments
of most of those countries. On the other hand we know that
the
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