A memorial to show that time beget changes and that ancient laws may be u fitted for peuple of modern times. Memorinlist therefore requests that certain old laws of prohibition nnd restriction hitherto extant uy be repealed and a new regime inaugurated. Thus the interests of the merchant subjects of the Throne will be protected and x general invitation held out (to those whose have gone astray). The memorialist in looking over the historical archives of the dynasty finds that it was during the reigns of the Emperors Shin Chih and Kang Hsi (frst and second sovereigns of the present Tartar dynasty, 1644-1723) that strict Inws regulating the movements of the inhabitants of the kung ("Koxinga" of Dutch narratives) and his son, who from their cuign of vantage were gazing with eager eyes upon the mainland, which comprised the maritime provinces of Chekiang, Fukien, and Kuanytung, waiting for an opportunity to commie depredations upon these corists. Numbers of peaceable inhabitants in this vicinity were lured into insurgent bands who soon aide their proselytes us reckless and as savage x8 themselves. For this reason the maritime provinces were kept in x stare of ferment wud fear so that it wes absolutely necessary that stern and stringent laws should be made for the protection of the country at large. For instance, it was ordained that if a Fukienese, who had set-tied amongst the venture back to the mainland, he should, if captured, be forthwith decapitated: Furthermore as time went on and Forusosa waa retaken from the insurgents, peucvful tines dawned again, ao that it became all the more necessary to secure peace and quiet to the harassed people, and preventive measures were accordingly decided upon ce guard against foreign invasion. Hence in the 6@th year of the reign of K'ang Hsi (1718) a prohibitory law was promulgated forbidding any further commerce or intercourse with the islands ut the Southern Ocean." At the desire of the Throne a
igh officiale of the Nine Ministries (the consultation was held amongst the Six Beards, the Censornte, the Grand Court of Rev the otice of Transmission for memorials, ete,), which resulted a joint memorial recommending the Throne to command the Viceroys and Governors of the maritime provinces to sond despatches and special envoys denanding the extradition of all Chinese who hind remained abroad a number of years, and that such wanderers or emigrants when taken back to China should be immediately beheaded. The Emperor K'ang Hei, however, could not be brought to sanction such a severe law without first warning h misguided people and so by a special act of grace added a saving clause to the edict, by allowing all euch as had emigrated or wandered to foreign countries prior to 1718 to return home without molestation, In the Goh yew of Yung Ching (1728) another decree was issued to the effect that wheres most of those emigrants who had left Chins previous to 1718 hand already returned home by degrees, such as had nob returned or who had stolen away after the date of the said edict should be banished for ever from China. In the 14th year of tien Lung (1749) there occurred a case which a junk captain was convicted of having stolen away on a trading expedition to foreign lands, and a decree was accordingly: issued ordaining that the capitan, Ch'én Yi-lao, who had surreptitiously sailed to Calabar, and had been arrested on his return, should be severely punished and his junk and cargo of merchandise confiscatet to Government. It fore to. memorialist that in days, piracy was rampant on the high ens 5 that no treaty had been made with neigh bouring States; and that by prohibiting Chinese from leaving their native shores, there would arise less occasion for trouble with foreign countries, and fewer opportunities given of obtaining information from Chinese emigrants as to the atate and condition of the mainland, Moreover, in those days, when peace reigned in' the land, there were then fewer inhabitants than now, 0 that by the emigration of the people to foreign countries a large tract Of country would be depopulated, Restrictive laws then were " matter of necessity and hence should in no way be considered oppressive and unjust.
We now come to the 22nd year of the reign of Tao Kuang (1841-2), "Since then trouties have been made une after another with various foreign countries. In the Treaty of Nanking with Great Britain, the first article of the Treaty provides for the reciprocal protection of the subjects of either country i one another's land. In the 5th ari of the subsequent treaty with the United States, it was provided that the subjects of the high contracting powers should have perfect liberty 1 reside another's Innd, to travel bout to be unturalised. Furthermo ties with Peru and Spain, havi reference to Cuba, provided special protection and immunities on behalf of our coolie class working there. Such was the anxiety of our Government for the welfare of her subjects in foreign countries that for fear that her treaties should not be observed, Consular ed at all important points to overdo interests of Chinese subjects. By the establishment of fast steamers und railways the furthest countries on the globe are now drought, an it were, to our very door, and it has become more and more evident that country is uow able to remain in seclusion or tu shut its doors against 1 forei Moreover the fostering care of our paternal government hasbeen the means of the number of our people so that wit!
200 years the great increase of po 1as become a subject ut goave apprehension to the Th For this reason there no help for it but to open a way for an out-in so that a teeming population might have the means of se a livelihood Merchants went forth to nda wealth to our country, and the will of the people was allowed to revel at pleasure so that there might be beth elbow room and space f Tt is therefore apparent that that the ancient laws of restrictic become of their own accord absulete. being made so by decree; and that such laws have been changed without any order being promulgated for changing: them. In 1891 memorialist obtained the consent to the appointment of octant Taotai Huang Chun-hsien, otherwise known as Wong Kung-doo, to be our Consul-General at Singapore, Before proceeding to his post mem-rialist obtained promise from Huang Chun-hsien to collect every information available us to the numbers, ial cunditi-n, and inclinations of the Chinese of the Straits Settlements and the islands of the Southern Ocean." The following appears to be the result of the ssi Consul-General's investigation "There are ut present in the Straits Settlements and islands round about over one million Chinese, They occupy themselves in trade and agriculture, and hold cmsiderable influence and power wherever they have settled, Europeans, Arabs, and {the native Malays only consist of thirty per cent. of the inhabitants, while the Chinese number seventy per cent. of the whole. Amongst the Chinese, those from the prefectures of Kiungchow (daman Ishud), Huichow, and Chisyingchow of onwprise twenty per cent., while the remaining fifty per cent, consist of from the Kuangtung prefecture of Chtavchowfu (Swatow), and Changchow in Fukien, OF these, what may called the Cantonese come and go xv pleasure between China and the land of their adoption, while of the Swatow men hal may be said to "take rout" and the other half generally travels buck and forth, The Fukienese are the wealthiest, They usually stay where they are, owning subst seldom wander about. the Chinese own plantations and gardens and leave them to their descendants. fo their honour it may be suid, al: though their ancestors arrived there over a hundred yours ago, their descendants retain their Cuinese ('Cartar) dress the coren observed in their mar-ringes, funerals, and treatment of guests are still of the land of their ancestors, In recent years, when asked to subscribe to the famine funds they came down handsomely, 80 that the approbation of the Throne was shown in gifts of peacock feathers and brevet buttons in rank, A close scrutiny of their predilections has revealed that they wre loyal to China at the core, and deeply feel the influence of the Imperial beneficence. But when asked why they do not take the opportunity of returning and settling in their native land, their knitted brows and frowning countenances might be observed, and the following complaints were generally made: They said that they fear the so-called investigations +f their local mandarins; the oppression of the yamen underlings; and the extort tious of their clansmen and neighbour Tustances of which can be given without mey have complained that those who Happened to return home have been malicivusly xceused ws pirates and robbers; as spies for savages; ax purchasers of conten band in arms and ammunition in order to supply sea pirates; and as buyers and kidnappers of coolie slaves for the purpose of supplying foreign ruffians. Some of them have had their baggage and belongings—the savings of years—forcibly taken away feom them and partitioned amongst Joel radians; some have had their house pulled down and were forbidden to build Jon the land of their buying; and some moreover have been forced to pay money on forged documents, in which their nncestors were supposed to have borrowed from 1 cuwdies! ancestors a century oF ay ago Alone and unprotected: considered to be strangers and aliens amongst their own kindred, to whom could they apply for help ina land surrounded as they were Jon all sides by rapacivas hawks, of high and low degree? Hence, having taken a lesson from experience, tone of the weal-their Chinese in foreign countries exe to return to the land of their ancestors, Thoxe who do go to China to trade or travel go either as British or Dutch subjects, under the protection of a foreign Governuent. The nat important thing to be done now is to try to sweep away these abuses that a universal proclamation should be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.