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- Alternative Title:
- Detailed account of diplomatic protests.
- Subject:
- Chinese, History, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (Victoria, B.C.), Emigration and immigration, Race discrimination, Poll tax, Associations, institutions, etc., and Emigration and immigration--Government policy
- Creator:
- Huang, Zunxian, 1848-1905
- Language:
- chi
- Date Created:
- August 1, 1891?
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original manuscript and for reproduction requests (speccoll@uvic.ca). This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- Text
- Extent:
- 4 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Victoria, British Columbia, and Commonwealth countries
- Coordinates:
- 48.4359, -123.35155 and 53.99983, -125.0032
- Chronological Coverage:
- 1884/1891?
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Chinese Canadian Collection
- Provenance:
- Donor: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (Victoria, B.C.)
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Acc. No.: 1977-084, 1.2, 1.2.05
- Fonds Title:
- Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR030
- Is Referenced By:
- Finding aid for archival fonds: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/chinese-consolidated-benevolent-association-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2007-07-30
- Transcript:
- July 2, Dear Directors, I read your letter, knowing that the Parliament of British Columbia passed a new law to increase the rate of head tax on every Chinese, new comers or current residents, merchants or workers. I reported it to the Honorable Minister, who addressed a protesting note to the Foreign Ministry of England last month. Please find attached a copy of this note. It reminds me of the time when I was Consul General in San Francisco in 1884, the Parliament of British Columbia had passed a very harsh discriminating law against Chinese. You sent four representatives to San Francisco to require for help, I instructed you to unite all the Chinese in Victoria, and hire lawyers to bring in a lawsuit. Meanwhile I explained all the matters to the envoy of the Canadian Foreign Ministry, who happened to be in San Francisco on duty. It was fortunate that this law was abolished later, and the interests of Chinese were not inflicted. Anyway I forwarded your case to the Honorable Zeng. He told me that it was difficult to argue in London, because, firstly, there are no terms in Sino-British treaties that Chinese who reside in the British dependencies enjoy rights to most-favored-nation; secondly, unlike the Chinese central government governing the 18 provinces, the British dependencies like Australia, Canada have semi-sovereign rights, the British Government can not abolish their laws. It was, therefore, more effective to argue against it in British Columbia by the Chinese who reside there. I was off my position in 1886 and left San Francisco. The law that forbade Chinese to enter British Columbia was passed and came into force till now. This year there was debate in the Canadian Parliament whether to increase the rate of head tax to $100 on each Chinese. It was not passed fortunately. The Honorable Xie cares a lot of the Chinese in British Columbia, he knows that there are not too many business opportunities except gold mining and fishery, especially after the completion of the railway, many Chinese workers would be jobless, they can not bear the heavy taxes on them. Consequently, he addressed a note to the British Government, in which the Australian case was mentioned as well, intending for the abolition of the bad laws. His Honor particularly instructs me to forward a copy of this note to you for your knowledge. If in future there are more discriminating laws against Chinese, please first hire lawyers to enter a lawsuit, and write to me in details, advising me what really happens. Do remember to attach the original English documents. Please send my best regards to all of you Yours sincerely Huang Zun Xian
- Technical Note:
- 600 dpi TIFF, no colour correction, archived in Cataloguing on DVD, digitized by CDW. Metadata by MH and KD.
- Alternative Title:
- Request from the Chinese Ambassador to England to the British Foreign Minister
- Subject:
- Chinese, Race discrimination, and Emigration and immigration--Government policy
- Language:
- chi
- Date Created:
- June 25, 1897
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original manuscript and for reproduction requests (speccoll@uvic.ca). This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- Text
- Extent:
- 2 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia and Commonwealth countries
- Coordinates:
- 53.99983, -125.0032
- Chronological Coverage:
- 1876/1891
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Chinese Canadian Collection
- Provenance:
- Donor: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (Victoria, B.C.)
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- manuscripts (documents) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Acc. No.: 1977-084, 1.2, 1.2.04
- Fonds Title:
- Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR030
- Is Referenced By:
- Finding aid for archival fonds: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/chinese-consolidated-benevolent-association-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2007-07-30
- Transcript:
- June 25，1891 The Honorable Minister, Since the establishment of the Chinese Embassy to England in London in 1876, all of my predecessors lodged protests against discriminating treatment to the Chinese who reside in or travel to the British dependencies. All efforts failed except in one case, which was handled by the Honorable Liu, that the discriminating laws were abolished in British Columbia. The conditions of the Chinese there have not been improved, because in Australia Chinese are not permitted to enter, and in Canada the Central Parliaments have renewed the bad laws that were passed by the British Columbia Parliament, with only minor changes. The Canadian new laws regulate that Chinese are forbidden to enter Canada from 1886 on. The laws state at the beginning that these laws are ordered by the Queen, and approved by the Canadian Parliaments. The Chinese Government is discontented with, and protested against for many times, the discriminating laws that Chinese are not allowed to enter these dependencies, not because these laws are too harsh in imposing restrictions, or too heavy in levying tax, but because these laws are purposely made not to allow Chinese to enter these territories. These laws obviously state that it is not a restriction of number of persons allowed, but a restriction on Chinese. This shows contempt for China, not treating China as a friendly nation. On 24th and 25th February this year, the British Columbia Parliament debated whether Japanese should be treated the same as Chinese not to be allowed to enter their territory, Japanese is eventually not included. This is not because the gentlemen of the Parliament love Japanese more, or it is a better choice to allow Japanese in, but because they are afraid that this will offend the Japanese Government. I really can not understand why the British Columbia Parliament could treat China and Japan differently, and could treat the Chinese, who reside in the British dependencies, differently from other nationalities, who reside there as well. There have been strong business relations between these dependencies and China, and the dependencies get the same treatment as England in accordance with the treaties signed with China. In future if the dependencies want to be treated the same as England, they have to follow the treaties and Law of Nations as England does. It is understandable for the dependencies to make laws to restrict too many immigrants. However, the fact that Australia and Canada make laws that treat Chinese, people from a friendly nation, as the inferior, or as the enemy is not acceptable to the Chinese Government. Concerning this issue my predecessors, for many times, addressed notes to your honor. They lodged protests in accordance with Law of Nations and the treaties signed between our two nations. I am hereby presenting the above-mentioned facts to your honor to forward to the Prime Minister, and I hope the British Government can abolish these bad laws as soon as possible. We, the Chinese Government, hold the view that it is not only contempt to China, but also impediment to the growing friendship between the peoples of our two nations. We can not give free rein to this intention, the Governments of our two nations should try to find a resolution. Yours sincerely
- Technical Note:
- 600 dpi TIFF, no colour correction, archived in Cataloguing on DVD, digitized by CDW. Metadata by MH and KD.