Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1883
No. 341.
Mr. Daggett to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Honolalu, October 13, 1883. (Received October 29.)
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that at a meeting of His Majesty’s Cabinet on the 13th of last July, the resolution of the 9th April, 1883, protesting against a further immigration of Chinese male laborers [Page 565] to these islands was rescinded, and a resolution adopted instead authorizing the immigration of Chinese laborers, under certain restrictions, at a rate not to exceed 600 in any three months. The reasons of this change are set forth in the correspondence herewith inclosed.
Very respectfully, &c.,
Mr. Gibson to Mr. Johnson.
Honolulu, July 14, 1883.
I have now the honor to inform you that at a meeting of the Cabinet, held yesterday, the resolution of April 9th, communicated to you in my letter of that date, was rescinded and the following passed in its place:
“Resolved, That the minister of foreign affairs be authorized to notify the Government of China and the authorities of the British colony of Hong-Kong, that a limited Chinese immigration will be permitted to enter this Kingdom under regulations issued from the foreign office.”
It has already been intimated to you that this Government has never been prepared to discountenance a limited immigration of Chinese accompanied by a proportion of females. On representations made by the employers of Chinese coolie labor here that the number of Chinese who annually return to China on the expiration of their contracts is very large, and that this year it will probably be much larger than usual, His Majesty’s Government has decided it prudent to permit a resumption of immigration, to a limited extent, as in replacement of the number leaving. I have, therefore, acting on the authority of the resolution above recited, the honor to authorize you to grant permission to persons desiring to bring here Chinese passengers, within the limits as to numbers and subject to the other restrictions defined in the separate letter of instructions inclosed with this.
The duration of the régime thus established will necessarily depend on the results of the negotiations now pending between this Government and that of China; also upon the character of the immigration which may actually take place under it, more especially in respect to the number of females, wives and relatives of male immigrants, who may be induced to come here along with them.
In conclusion, I have the honor to request that you will notify the Government of Hong-Kong of the resolution of Cabinet now communicated to you and of the nature of the authority placed in your hands.
I have, &c.,
- WALTER M. GIBSON,
Minister of Foreign Affairs. - T. Bulkley Johnson,
Esq.,
H. H. M.’s Consul-General, Hong-Kong.
Mr. Gibson to Mr. Johnson.
Honolulu, July 14, 1883.
Sir: Referring to my other letter of this date, I have now the honor to authorize you to grant permission from time to time to the captains and owners of steam vessels to carry Chinese passengers from the port of Hong-Kong to these islands, subject to the following conditions, viz:
- 1.
- The steamers thus permitted to convey Chinese passengers to this country shall only be those belonging to some established lines, which at present are only the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and the Oriental and Occidental Steamship Company. (The fact that these steamers are always well equipped and provided, and kept in a cleanly [Page 566] condition, and carry experienced physicians, has led the Government to select them for this service.)
- 2.
- The total number of passengers brought here under this supervision shall not exceed 600 in any three months’ period.
I have, &c.,
- WALTER M. GIBSON,
Minister of Foreign Affairs. - T. Bulkley Johnson,
H. H. M.’s Consul-General, Hong-Kong.
(Extract from letter of July 14, 1883, to Mr. H. A. P. Carter.)
I have now to request that you will inform his excellency the Chinese minister of this resolution (Cabinet resolution of 13th), and also of the terms, as hereinafter stated, on which a partial resumption of Chinese immigration will be allowed. Your excellency will also oblige me by explaining to Mr. Cheng Tsao Ju that this resolution indicates no change of policy on the part of this Government. The resolution of April 9 was intended to meet an emergency which appears to be past, and, as our planters are still in need of a certain number of Chinese laborers, mainly to replace those whose terms are expiring and who are in considerable numbers returning to their native land, permission is given to well-established steamship companies, favorably known to the Government for their orderly conduct of the passenger service, for the cleanliness of their ships and for their care as to sanitary regulations, also as always carrying efficient medical officers, whose agents have given assurance to the Government that they are in a position to secure a fair percentage of female immigrants, to bring here the limited number of 600 passengers every three months, pending the progress of the negotiations you have initiated with his excellency for the purpose of securing to us a control of the immigration from China to these islands.
I have by this mail authorized our consul-general at Hong-Kong to grant permission to the pacific Mail Steamship Company and the Oriental and Occidental Steamship Company (theirs being the only established lines of steamers at present in the trade) to convey Chinese passengers from the port of Hong-Kong to these islands in numbers not exceeding 600 in any three months.
Mr. Gibson to Messrs. Hackfeld & Co.
Gentlemen: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday’s date, in which you ask that the immigration from Japan to these islands may be subjected to the same restrictions in favor of the steamship companies you represent as exist at the present time in regard to Chinese immigrants, and inquire for how long a period the Government will allow these companies to bring Chinese and Japanese passengers to these islands.
In reply to the latter of these inquiries, I beg to say that though, by order of His Majesty’s Government, this department has made it known that a limited Chinese immigration will be permitted, the steamers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and of the Occidental and Oriental Company have been designated as the only means of conveyance by which Chinese coolies may be brought here, the Government is not in a position to fix any definite time during which such an arrangement shall last, lean, however, give you the assurance that unless some emergency, at present entirely unforeseen, should arise, no change will be made in the arrangements referred to without reasonable warning being given you. So far as I can judge, the permission just granted is likely to remain in force for some time to come if the immigration taking place under it be conducted in the manner and with the discretion which the Government has reason to expect.
In regard to Japanese immigrants, I have to say that this Government has no emigration convention with Japan, and is unable to give you any assurance on the subject. If any passengers should seek this Kingdom from Japanese ports the Government would certainly be glad that they should be brought here by vessels of the class which the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and the Occidental and Oriental Company are running, whose superior accommodation and admirable supervision have led to their being accorded the exclusive privilege of carrying Chinese coolies to this country.
I have, &c.,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.