New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-17
THE COOLlE TRADE.

Some official correspondence has recently been
laid before the British Patlameat in relation TO
the traffic in coolies, which confirms all that has
ever been said in relation to the abOpinable char
acter of that trade, as carried on in the ports Of
China. 1t shows the system to have been one Of
kidnapping either by force or fraud for the pur-
pose OF selling the poor wretches who were
inyeigled or forced on board the receiving.ships
into Slavery in Cuba. And so exasperated had
the Chinese at length become by the barbarites
whichwere practced upon the unsuspecting and the
ignorant of their people, that there was some fear
a year ago. that their Indignation would find veLt
in popular rising. The exigency of the case was
met by Laou, the acting Governor General of the
Two Kwang, by substituting system of free
emigration.
MIR. j. G.. Austin was authorized by the British
Government under the sanction of the Chinese
authorities to conduct at Canton the emigration to
the British Colonies. The experiment was In one
way entirely successful. BY the middle of March
last, Mr. Austin had dispatched to British Guiana
I,567 men, 800 women and l08 children. 10 some
instances, whole families were taken out, and in
one case, q whole village emigrated. The proper.
tion Of women to men may seem small but it is not
ger than usually attends voluntary emigration,
where the intention is, whether ever carried out
or not, of returning to their own country.
All this is encouraging though little more than
what we have published before. Unfortunately,
however it is equally true that the denominations
of the cOolie traffic have continued as great as
ever in the hands of unscrupulous Frenchmen,
Spaniards, and Americans, who have kept receiv-
ipg-ships open at Whampoa and Macao into which
the hapIess wIetches were entrapped or forced by
pimps among their own countrymen whom foreign
pay could seduce 20 engage in this villainous bust
ness. Nor is it easy to see where lies the remedy.
If the English open an emigration-hOuse at Canton,
the French may do, and have done 80 also;
and it is said that an American agent for
Cuban house has done the same thing. UndOubt-
eddy Chinese emigration TO the British West Indies
is or may be, under proper restrictions and regula-
tions, q very good thing both for the coolies and
those who want their labor and just as undoubt.
edly Chinese EN- gratOn to the Spanish West Indies
or to the Slave States of this country, though
very good thing for the Shareholders is very bad
shall learn to discriminate, and shall understand
that no emigration house in Canton, or any other
Chinese port, is Trustworthy except it have the
sanction Of the British Government, there must be
inevitably great deal of suffering to this class of
people, and the coolie traffic will remain essentially
the same as the slave.trade.
A letter from Lord John Russell, in this cores
pondence, urges with much earnestnesS the placing
the cooe traffic on legitimate basis, as sort of
offset the African slave trade. Though be gives
very favorable account Of the present condition of
that trade, estimating the number exported from AZ
RIGA the past year at only 25 900 to 10000 instead
of l35, 900, the average yearly number from 1880
to Is4O--we think his Lordshp altogether too low
in his first estimate-he still thinks the trade is
again becoming hourishing. The demand for Ia
borers which this trade supplies, contrary to the
peace of the world and the treaties Of all Christian
Powers, he proposes to meet by free emigration
of the Chinese coOlie. 1t is very curious that in
this calculation be should leaye out Of sight the