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London, as well as from Messrs. Dodwell and Co., and the Liverpool Ship-owners” Association. I have the honour to draw your attention to the Resolutions, copies of which I append, and which were forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The demand for Chinese labour for Panamá, which it is expected will spring up in the near future, and also the constant demand which exists at present in the Mexican mines, makes Shipping Companies anxious to see the present prohibition removed, as otherwise British vessels will lose a valuable trade which will fall into the hands of their German or Norwegian rivals, probably under less favourable conditions than in ours.
I may mention that Messrs. Dodwell and Co. made a second unsuccessful attempt in Shanghae in September last to dispatch another British ship, the "Bessie Dollar," to Mexico with coolies under contract. The attempt failed, as it had done at Foochow, permission to clear beingr efused by His Majesty's Consul-General. Sir H. de Sausmarez, who was appealed to for an opinion on the legal aspect of the case, was, I understand, strongly of opinion that the law required amendment. I have heard that it was his intention to send home a report on the subject, but whether he has done so I am not informed.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
HERBERT F. BRADY,
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been brought to my notice, I have now the honour to give a short account of the circumstances which no doubt formed the basis of the rumour that reached the French Minister.
On the 10th May last 515 coolies were shipped from Foochow by the German steamer Erna " for Santa Rosalia, Lower California, Mexico, for work in the copper mines owned by the " Compagnie du Boléo." These coolies were examined by Drs. Myers and Vizerie, of Pagoda Anchorage, and were passed as being perfectly healthy at the time of their departure. I am unable to ascertain at what precise time the epidemic of “beri-beri" broke out among the coolies. M. Vetch, a French citizen, by whom the coolies were shipped, states that the epidemic appears to have broken out one month after their arrival at Santa Rosalia. On the other hand, it was stated by the French Vice-Consul, M. Hardy, that some six or seven of the coolies bad died on the voyage out, but he could not give the cause of the deaths. He also informed me that over 100 of the coolies had died at the mines, and consequently the "Compagnie du Boléo" decided to repatriate those of the coolies who were sick.
These coolies, 112 in number, were shipped from Santa Rosalia by the steam-ship "Illaworth," and five days later 109 of them (three having died on this voyage) were transhipped at Salina Cruz into the British steam-ship "Alabama." The surgeon of the "Alabama" states in bis report that all of the 109 received on board were suffering from "beri-beri"; forty-five died on the voyage and three died after arrival at Pagoda Anchorage of this disease. There being no proper quarantine facilities at Pagoda, special arrangements were made for the landing and accommodation of the sick coolies. report on this subject from the Consular Agent at Pagoda will be forwarded to you shortly.
I have, &c. (Signed)
G. M. H. PLAYFAIR.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Extract from the Monthly Magazine of the Chamber for November 1906.
Report of a Meeting of the Incorporated Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool.
THE question of the restrictions placed by "The Chinese Passengers Act, 1855," and the "Hong Kong Ordinance, 1899," on the conveyance of Chinese emigrants (under contract) by British steamers to foreign countries came up for discussion before the Chamber.
The Chairman referred to the disabilities under which British ships laboured owing to the Acts mentioned, and said they were debarred from engaging in legitimate and profitable trade, and it was most unfair that they should be at a disadvantage compared with those of other countries.
case).
A case in point was illustrated where a German vessel was favoured (the Foochow
The following Resolutions were passed and copies of them were ordered to be sent to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies :--
Resolved,1. That the Committee of the East India Trades Section of this Chamber deplore the disabilities under which the shipping of the United Kingdom labours, owing to the provisions of "The Chinese Passengers Act, 1855," and the "Chinese Emigration Ordinance (Hong Kong), 1889," whereby British vessels are in many cases debarred from engaging in legitimate and profitable trade.
2. The recent instance of the steam-ship "Powhattan," which was chartered in London to carry coolies from China to Mexico under contract approved by Chinese Provincial authorities, and with the consent of the Mexican authorities, and which Charter had subsequently to be cancelled, is an illustration of the hardship suffered by British owners at a time when suitable employment for shipping is difficult to obtain.
3. The Committee therefore urges that the Law and Ordinance should at once be amended, as being unduly restrictive and entirely out of date, owing to the change of circumstances which has taken place since the Regulations objected to were authorized by the Home Government, and put into operation by the Legislature of Hong Kong.
(No. 36.) Sir,
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Consul Playfair to Sir J. Jordan.
Foochow, November 12, 1906.
WITH reference to your telegram No. 8 of the 3rd instant, inquiring as to the existence of popular agitation against the emigration of local coolies to Mexico, and to my telegram No. 12 of the same date, in reply, stating that nothing of the kind had
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