The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-29
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LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
YOKOHAMA. MAY 2Gru. 1868.

YOKOHAMA, MAY 2GTH, 1868.
In pursuance of the 4th Section of the Act o
Congress giving certain Judicial powers etc. approved
June 22nd, 1868. l Robert Il. Van Valkenburgh-
Minister Resident of the United States in Japan, d.
hereby decree the following regulation, which shall
have the force of law in the Courts of the United
States in Japan.
The Act Of Congress to prohibit the coolie trade
etc. approved February 18th, S62-and which was
framed with regard to China is hereby made appli-
cable to Japan.
H.. 81 R. B. VAN VALKENBURGH.
minister Resident Of The United States in Japan.
These extracts sufficiently disprove the asser-
tions officially made in the extract quoted from
the Gazette, and show that "some one =" in
Japan 81 has claimed - and Z. intimated, ;" too, in
rather clear language, that there was " kidnap-
ping - in the case.
Now the plan on which these japanese emf
grants were obtained was unqucstionably the
only ore on which foreign laborcrs should be
procured for these islands. And had their de-
r~arture only received the full sanction of the
MIkado's Government, no complaint could be
made. With only this exception, we agree with
The Japan Times, when it says, : there is not 4
single Objectionable point in the whole affair."
The einIgrants were engaged for three years,
'o'tho~t any contract, except the promise OF the
Hawaiian Consul that they should find employ
inent for three years, ut four dollars a month,
and then be returned to their homes, without
expense to themselves. These were the terms as
officially published at the time of their arrival
The japanese have left their OWN country under
no written contracts. There is only the agreement
of the Hawaiian Consul, as Agent of the Board,
with the japanese authorities, that the wages shall
be four dollars per month, with food, clothing and
medical attendance, and Il free passage from, and
return, at the end Of three years, to Japan. They
are under UeT6ai engagements to perform the service
required, to the Board, which has the right to assign
this service to others, and is responsible for the pay
ment of the wages, and the faithful performance of
all the stipulations of the engagement with them on
the part OF their employers The Board, Therefore,
having induced a free emigration from Japan, and
received the laborers here, are in duty bound to pro-
vide suitable places for them, and to return them to
their own country
These japanese laborers, imported in the Sciofo,
were practically free IabOrers, coming here aoitA-
Out contract, and only entered into contract after
their arrival, which, had it been made directly
with the planter or employer, would be the very
system which we are striving to see established
here in obtaining laborers. And yet the govern
ment organ says it would be the hight of folly to
to bring free immigrants into this
country, forgetting that the experiment has
tnc IGH assent OF the 10 -a1 II 0een nuf HHhfte
would have met no adverse criticisms. Those
who have employed them, have generally been
satisfied; and while we are glad to learn that
the japanese ENJOYS were so well pleased with
the condition in which they found their country
men, we think that this government might have
acted with more consideration for the rights of
the planters and other employers of these laborers,
han to allow them to be taken off without a
notice, or, in some instances, any explana-
ton. In other matters, it has sought the co-ope-
-ation Of planters why should it not have done SO
in this?