The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-12-31
THE PACIFIC
DECEMBER 81, 1881.
Suspension of Chinese Emigration to
Honolulu.

The following important notification. relatiy,
to emigration TO Honolulu, has been issued b,
the Goyernor-Genera Of the two Kwang Pro
vinces -
Ia, Treasure. OF Hwang-tung, issues the follow
ing notification.
On the 5th Oct. the writer received 4 despatch
from II. E. the Governor-Genera Of the TW,
kwang, stating that he had received the follow
ing communication from Mr.. Travers, the Ger
man Consul -
q have 20 acknowledge the receipt of Your
Excellency's despatch, with reference 10 carrying
on emigration to Honolulu on lines similar tC
those employed in the case Of Cuba, by issuing
certificates from the Customs to be stamped by ar
officer deputed for the purpose, and by modifying
the general register to individual registers, as be-
ing more suited TO the present state ot affairs. |
have also received forms of the register and certi-
tcate. 1t appears that i certificate is to be issued
to each person, with which he may land, and
which, further: is to be examined by the Chinese
Consul, whs will undoubtedly be able TO deter
mine whether or not the person holding the certi-
hcate l. the same rs was examined by the Customs
Authorities. This will put Il stop to the mall
practice of emIgrating under assumed names,
leaving no loophOle open, and is exactly what l
expressed n desire for in a former personal con-
ference with Your Excellency. The owners of
German ships, being DESTROYS for the establish
ment OF some means for thoroughly examining
emigrants, will be only too happy to act in accor-
dance with the various regulations, so that a
IlSlu eNallEdIlOu may nc nelu Dy the 0Incer
deputed for that purpose, and that the emigrants
may 60 Of their own free will. But as to the
stamping Of the certificate only when il is found
that the passage money Is not borrowed, | differ
in opinion from Your Excellency, though in what
We both said on the occasion of a former personal
conference. as to the general circumstances of
Chinese Emigration. we were not much at vari-
ancc. The class OF people who emigrate are for
the NEST part those who, having no means OF live
lIhood in their own country, go abroad, where
fore | fear that it would be a difficult matter to
get them to pay their passage money before start
ing. IL n laboring man has so or 60 dollars
ready money and saleabIe property, he never
dreams of going abroad. The present class of
emigrants are IN the majority of cases poor or in
difficulties. # they are TO act in accordance with
the despatch under answer before they can emil
CRATE, they will as Il necessary consequence be
deprived of any means of borrowing. For sup
posing a person tries to borrow from his security
or some firm, he must deposit something tangible
as a guarantee otherwise no shop would consent
to a loan. There are, however, charterers, who
have agencies in Honolulu, who might perhaps
consent TO a loan. If not, then it is to be feared
that n private agreement will be signed and
an exorbltant rate of interest charged. The pres
ent regulations established by Your Excelleucy
were originally intended for the benefit of the
coolie but by insisting on a thorough enquiry as
TO whether the passage money has been paid and
not IN any way borrowed before allowing any
emigration, what was an excellent idea is now
completely married. Your ExcelIency cannot fail
to know that emigrants are for the most part poor
or needy, SO that there are two courses open,
both OF which are good IN hemselves-either to
abolish the new regulations or TO prohibit emigra-
ton. Ii Your EXcellency is bent on enforcing
the regulations, then there Is nothing left for me
but to prohibit German ships carrying Chinese
passengers. For the passengers, having to hand
over their passage money at the time of the ex-
by IA deputed officer, it is to be appre-
hended that the majority OF them will borrow
money by signing n private contract, or if they
have no money, they have only to say when
questioned that they have already paid their
fare, which again will, it is feared. give rise to
emlgrating under assumed names. This will be
merely deceiving the Wel-dn, so that the stamp
lng OF q red seal is not sufficient proof. After
due consideration Of these two points | have come
to the conclusion that this is not free emigration,
lnd SO cannot allow ships to carry emigrants en-
banked under such circumstances. If Your Excel
lency is willing to agree to the Charterers making
l temporary advance of the passage money till
he emlgrant arrives at the port, the Charterers'
gent in Honolulu can find out where the various
migrants live and receive payment from them.
But Charterers will naturally be careful not to
ashly make advances, for In this case only a
promise Is made by the e~migrant on arriving at
lis destination TO pay back, after he has found
and signed his agreement, the passage
money out of the advance on hs wages. In
the place, nature, and duration ofhis
Engagement the enlgfanJ lSniS own master 1t
5 no concern Of the Charterer. In that part of
be regulations which speaks about the ~emigrant
rovldIng IN TulI las own passage, it is not expli-
ity stated that the passage money is to be prepaid.
I the e%nigrant relmbuTses the Charterer out of
be advance of wages given him by his employer,
repayment is out of the emigrant's wages,
Thich Is his own money, and SO he can be said to
ave paid for his own passage. The establish
OF the new regulations, under which q rigid
is necessary, is 10 prevent the
nticing away of people for the purposes of sell
lg them. The nOn-adoption of these regulations
not tantamount to non-prevension. The cir
OF Honolulu and Cuba are. not the :
ime. The petition of the foreign and Chinese :
rms in the former place to one of the high Off |
ais of the place, and his answer, together with |
he petition OF the merchants to the German Con :
II stationed at Honolulu, have been transmitted i
Your Excellency for your information. Look I
x at the statements OF these various documents, :
appears to me that the Chinese in Honolulu l.
e treated in the same way as the countrymen =
other nationalities there, their status being ex- !,
the same as in Hongkong, AMMAN, Saigon, Il
I'd Singapore. In numbers the Chinese are =
mpaTatiyely more numerous than any other =
ltlonality In Honolulu, and as to Chinese mer- o
Iants, there are over thirty fourishing and re- I:
ectable firms. Your Excellency need have no ~
spicions the evil of selling people positively D
res not exist in Honolulu. The Chinese mer- -
ants of tie place, on learning that the state V
ents IN the representation OF the Chinese Con- y
/, Chen, were untrue, In conjunction with the "
reign merchants, presented a counter state. -
emit, giving the true facts of the case. u
the Chinese are maltreated, they ought to pc e'
ion for an enquiry. If Your Excellency were ~
allow two or three well-known firms in Canton ~
take the monopoly of securing emigrants, and -
yularly char;erIng ships to convey them, In this -
y there would be no breaking Of regulations. -
,ur Excellency may remember that on the occa- :"
IN of a former personal interview, l not only al
on the subject of certificates as being Gu
2 only safeguard against smuggling emigrants -,
but also mentisned lists which the ships a.
plain would take with him, and the certificates VI
the emigrants would take with them, both
which would be presented to the Chinese Con-