695401-1875-Emigration-to-Acheen-Mr-GROENEVELDT-S-Letter-on- — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG ̧

Government Gazette.

Published by Authority.

No. 53.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 25TH DECEMBER, 1875.

VOL. XXI.

No. 226.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

His Excellency the Governor is pleased to direct that the following Letter, received from Mr. W. T. GROENEVELDT, in reference to a proposed Scheme of Emigration to Acheen, shall be published for general information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 21st December, 1875.

J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary,

NETHERLANDS CONSULATE, HONGKONG, 20th August, 1875.

SIR,In accordance with the desire expressed by Your Excellency in yesterday's interview, I have the honor to give the following details about the object of my Mission to China.

:

My Government wants to employ Chinese labour at Acheen and at the same time form a nucleus for the future colonisation of the country by Chinese immigrants.

For this purpose, a number of Chinese workmen have been engaged already in Java and Penang, but as the Chinese in those parts are more bent upon other pursuits, the supply has necessarily been somewhat limited; moreover, the number of ordinary Chinese labourers in our settlements is not sufficiently large to provide for the wants of Acheen, without materially injuring the interests of these settlements themselves, and therefore the Government is not giving any encouragement to the tendency shown by the Chinese in many places of trying the better prospects held out to them in Acheen.

These circumstances have led my Government to the idea of attempting to direct the current of Chinese Emigration towards that country, and I am instructed to defray the expenses of

passage, &c., of about 1,700 Chinese Emigrants, who may feel inclined to go to Acheen.

The men should be chiefly ordinary labourers, whose habits have made them fit for constructing roads and doing other kind of work in which physical exertion is chiefly required, but I intend also to get a number of carpenters, some gardeners, fishermen, &c., so as to have at once the principal elements of a Chinese settlement.

It is intended to convey the Emigrants to Acheen either in direct steamers, occasionally chartered for the purpose, or to give them a passage down to the Straits where from time to time a steamer would be kept ready to carry them on to their destination.

On their arrival in Acheen, the Emigrants will be at liberty to dispose of themselves as they like best; it is expected that some will find occupation with their countrymen who are established there as Traders, and that the majority will prefer to work for the Government, as sufficient inducement will be held out to them in the shape of wages and other advantages.

For this purpose, the Government is prepared to give employ to these Chinese Emigrants imme- diately after their arrival and with the following remuneration:-

(a.) A fixed sum of wages per month, of which the amount is to be determined by me for the different classes of Emigrants, as soon as I shall have collected sufficient information on the subject.