The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-05 00:00:00

THE KIDAAPPIVG OF COOLIES.

The following is the letter from the allied Com-
manders•in-Chief in China to the foreign consular
body at Canton : _ _

" Canton, Jan. 12.

" Gentlemen—We have the honour to forward for
your information and consideration copies of a cora-
munication and its enclosures, from his Excellency
Laon, the Governor-General of these provinces, to
the allied Commissioners, dated the 6th inst., re-
questing the allied Commanders-in-Chief to advise
him as to the measures best calculated to effect the
suppression of the Whampoa coolie trade, carried
on as this has lately been under circumstances most
injurious to the character and interests of the foreign
community.
" We also take this opportunity of placing before
you the depositions of 105 men, who have lately
been brought away from certain coolie receiving,
ships at Whampoa, viz., the American ships Mes-
senger, Pioneer, Governor Morton, and the Olden-
burg barque Fanny Kirchner ; you will read with
pain the particulars therein given of the system of
torture that has been pursued in order to wring
from the victims of the trade a nominal consent to
an eight years' engagement in the island of Cuba,
and you will see that a deception has been practised
in order to induce them to believe that their ship-
ment had received the sanction of their own autho-
rities. Notice may also be taken of the assertion so
frequently repeated in the depositions that those
coolies who have not yet been removed from the
above-named ships remain on board against their
will, and that their endeavours to make that un-,
willingness known are suppressed by the persons
who have them in charge.
"We doubt not that you will concur with us in
thinking that it can be no sufficient defence of the
system to say that this violence and deception is in
most cases the act of the Chinese, and not of fo-
reigners, engaged in the trade. The latter must long
ere this have become acquainted both with the true
character of the instruments they employ and the
abuse to which the payment of head money must
lead ; and there is, moreover, evidence to show that
the illtreatment of which the coolies complain is
not unfrequently inflicted on board the foreign
vessels and by foreign hands.
" In case it should be thought that these deposi-
tions are not deserving of full reliance, we should
• inform you that each witness was examined sepa-
rately and out of hearing of his companions, and it
. is not easy to see what object the majority of the
• witnesses could have in fabricatinc, falsehoods after

they had once re-acquired their liberty. But in case
some of your body would wish to test for themselves
the accuracy of these statements, or to obtain fur-
ther information from the witnesses themselves, we
have sanctioned their temporary detention in Can-
ton, in order that they may be brought before you
if you desire it.
" To the first named letter from his Excellency-Loon

to the Commissioners we are now able to add thio-
ther one, dated Jan. 9, communicating the course
adopted in the case of the Fanny Kirchner, which
his Excellency is desirous to show is uniform with
that pursued towards the American receiving ships.
We have refrained from any description of the fatal
occurrences of the night of the 4th inst. on board
the last-named vessel, or of the recent transactions
connected with the Coolie cargo of the Messenger,
but if, when engaged in the consideration of the
subject, you should require additional information,
either as to the proceeding we have alluded to or
the general question of man stealing as it is now
extensively carried on in these districts for the sup-
ply of the Coolie trade, we may refer you to the
allied Commissioners, who have ample details in
their possession.
" Fully sensible, gentlemen, that the suggestion of
those preventive measures which his Excellency
Laon is so anxious to see instituted appertains rather
to your province than that of the allied Commis-
sioners, we would wish to place the matter in your
hands, and to beg you to concert among yourselves
the measures best calculated to correct the abuses
that have been brought to light. We may mention,
however, that this is the second appeal which his
Excellency has made to us on this subject, the first
being simultaneous with the issue of his recent cir-
cular to the consular representatives, announcing to
them the establishment of a system of free emigra-
tion, and requesting them to require their respective
countrymen to conform to the rules upon which that
system is based. It appears, however, that his Excel-
lency's requisition has been only partially complied
with, for while several persons connected with the
shipment of Coolies at Whampoa desisted from
their operations on being warned by the consular
authorities of their illegal character, others again,
with little appreciation of his Excellency's liberal
concessions, and in direct opposition to his prohibi-
tions, continued to collect Coolies through the
agency of crimp beats, and to receive them on board
the above-mentioned ships. The prevention of
such proceedings in future, and the faithful observ-
ance of the rules established by the Governor-
General, is the point which should now engage the
attention of all responsible persons in this commu-
nity, connected so immediately as the subject is
with the peace and order of this important port
and the preservation of a good feeling between
foreigners and the Chinese population. We con-
fess that we do not ourselves see why it should be
more difficult to control foreign vessels when en-
gaged in the shipment of contract labourers than
when following any other ordinary operation.
Whatever may the steps necessary to secure the
ends in view, you will, we are satisfied, see with
us that the unscrupulous acts of a few persons,
such as those we are now pointing out, are liable to
imperil the best interests and even the personal
safety of your communities, and that although the
presence of the allied force in this city may serve
for a time to shield foreigners generally from the
consequences of these acts, they may be followed
withdrawn,by a serious relco_stiallwhen that safeguard shall be
due security against the wrongs
rl in q
complained of
shall
dßean dr.o G d
e t.
en
P the , meantime f
r haveF rit
n beenc e provi;
Mr. C. A. Winchester,feo
-Consuly for Great Britain ;
Mr. 11. Perry,rtwtz Consul for
Consul
the United States ;
8,7
Mr. Ra. ca
Prussia, Saxony,
e, ; J. des V. Vanderhoeve
n, Consul for the
Netherlands ; Senor Orbeta y Suerbe garay. Con-
sul for Spain ; Mr. T. C. Leslie, Consul for --Por-
tugal ; Mr. Robert Jardine, Consul for Denmark •
Mr. W. J. Bryans, Consul for Belgium . , Mr.
Waldemar Nissen, Consul for Hanse Towns;
Mr. C. Orne, Consul for Sweden and Norway ;
and other foreign representatives at Canton.

" DEPOSITIONS OF KIDNAPPED COOLIES BROUGRT
F WHAMPOA.
" TAKEN FROM AMERICAN SHIP.
" 1. Ung Cheo-Foo, a Tartar, states—About 12
days ago I was selling herbs in the street of Can-
ton ; it was in the south suburbs. A man (Chinese)
came up and asked me to go to Honam to fetch
something to Canton. Got into a boat and was
taken to Chung Chow. I objected to go to that
place, and was struck. I was placed on board a
foreign ship and asked' if I would go to a foreign
country. I declined. The foreigner said I was to
be taken back as I had refused to go. I was again
put into the kidnapping boat, and beaten on my
back with the flat of a sword. I received four blows,
and was told I must whenon board the foreign ship
say I was willing to go, or I should be killed. I
was afraid, and consented to go. I wls kept below
in the foreign ship, my dress was changed, and I
was not allowed on deck. There were 189 Coolies
down in this place. We had plenty of room, and
plenty to eat. All were unwilling to go, and had
been kidnapped. Six days ago I was brought away
from the foreign vessel.

" TAKEN FROM AMERICAN SHIP.

" 2. Shue A-yeung, a Tartar, states—About 20
days ago I was selling silk in the western suburb.
Two men accosted me, and said they would sell me
some better goods than mine, and at a very cheap
Irate. This silk was on board a junk in the river.

I went on board with them, and was seized, and
taken to a foreign vessel at Chung Chow, on board
which ship I was asked if I was willing to emi-
F;rate. I refused, and was taken back to the Chinese
coat, was cruelly beaten with a thick board, receiv-
ing 100 blows on all parts of my body, and told
that if I did not say I was willing the next time
the foreigner asked I should be killed, and my
body thrown into the river. I consented then, being
afraid, and was taken to the foreign vessel again.
Some time after this a foreign gentleman came on
board and asked me some questions. I explained
who I was, and that I could not be a Coolie.
After this I was sent down below, and a
foreigner, of what country I am not aware, struck
me with his fist for having refused. I saw
it. was no use resisting any longer. My clothes
were changed and I was kept below. My father
accompanied by a foreign gentleman, came for me.
II am 34 years of age. Have a wife and two children.