The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-05-07

sented TO the House of Representatives one
year ago.
Mr.. Parker. U. S. Minister TO China.
wrote to Mr.. Marcy on the 18th of Februa-
ry, 1856, that the following shipments of
coolies had been made during the year
1855 from Swatow, an illegal port even for
legal trade:
Ships. Tonnage Coolies
| American. .......5 6.592 3.O5O
British. 1881 1888
| Chilian. 500 go
Peruvian n.-.......-3 1850 1850
Total. ......l2 1918 6,3SS
Mr.. Parker also stated from official in
! formation, that the number Of males i'm
| ported rs coolies from Calcutta and Mad.
ras, from ls45 to 1852. into British Gui
ana and Trinidad, was LOO; and lie sug.
gested "the necessity OF specific instructions
emanating from the Navy Department to
our men.of war on the China station. au.
thorizing them 70 resort to illegal ports,
aud 10 examine such vessels rs do, and AS.
certain that they do not, offend against law,
and 10 make them accountable if thev do"
January, 1856, Mr.. @. ID. Mugford, al
Hong Kong, notified Mr.. Parker that he
was agent for one OF the most respectable
| firms in the United States who had made
a contract with the Brazilian Government
for sending to Rio de Janeiro some 1000
Chinese, aud that part Of them had been
shipped. but the firm were ready to abide
10y the decision OF the Governments Of the
United States or China as regards the le-
gali,y Of the trade. Subsequently, Mr..
Parker addressed a public notification, call.
| ing on citizens Of the United States TO de.
sist from this irregular and immoral traffic
The evidence constantly accommodating TO
show the horrible character Of this trade
calls still more loudly for It's speedy sup.
preston. The London Times recently pub.
Iished a deeply interesting communication
on this subject from which we extract the
| following:
The testimony of Sir John Bowrng to
the lamentable condition of The Chinese
emigrant cannot but recall to most of our
readers minds the disclosures made few
weeks ago at the Thames Police Court in
London with respect to the condition of
the Coolies on board the ship Duke of
Portland, on her voyage from Hong Kong
10 Havana.
at will be remembered that on the occa.
! sion referred TO tue master of the vessel
made the confession that one hundred and
| thirty.two OF the emigranls, all Of whom
! al been taken on board, he said. in good
! health, had died between Hong Kong and
| Havana. He had had US many IA two
! hundred invalids at one time and many
more had died after they bad landed in
Cuba His log book contained daily, and
/ Aa,IY IS Il.
magistrate said he had heard of the horrors
! of the middle passage when the odious slave
trade was in existence, but he never heard
of anything like this" The counsel said
| 1t is most horrible. Chinamen are brought
/ from China to work on plantations, aud
! this is the result. The English flag is dis
| gracei by such tallic' The captain con.
fessed 1t is u dreadful traffic, aud quite
time II WAS put an end to-
| yet this WAS but an accidental disclo-
sure of a system which was only casually
brought to light in this instance by the
magistrates inspection OF the log book in n
suit of wages.
Il have myself when in Havana, heard
accounts and witnessed scenes connected
with this traffic which are perfectly appal
| ling. In some instances the proportion OF
I dead TO living Il: the conclusion of ,he Soy-
! age has been as high as two hundred of the
/ one for every three hundred of the other
/ In March, 1858, the British ship Gertrude
arrived at Havana with cargo OF 1913 Chi
namen, and in note appended to the re.
/ turn we read, "of the Gerlrude's 1872 died"
such are the horrors OF this second slave
| trade during the passage. When lie ar
/ rivcs at his destination, in the majority Of
instances, the cooe finds that his misery
| has but commenced. have seen examples
\ Of considerale treatment, and consequently
of comparative comfort; but these are I'm
/ happily rare. On arriving at Havana after
/ passing the quarantine. the coolie, if lie sur.
/ vive, is transferred to the highest bidder,
who places him upon his plantation side by
/ side with his slaves His term Of service is
eight years; his labor rs hard as his master
thinks he can sustain. He receives small
payment monthly, which makes his condi.
lion by n few dollars preferable to that OF
the slave. lie Is exposed To the same toll,
watched 10y the same oyeteer, with whip
in hand and sword at the side, rs the slave.
ION the other hand, his position is worse
than that Of his slave companion, inasmuch
as his masters interest in him terminates
after eight years. ln proportion as the term
of service approaches It's expiration the mo-
tive for retaining the coolie in life decreases
The slaves life is usually worked out rs the
Cuban planters have themselves confessed
to me, in ten years Of fall work. The Chi
nese coolie, as every one who has lived on
the Cuban plantations knows. reaches hi'