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- Report to the Chinese Consul-General in San Francisco Aug. 1884. The Honorable Huang Zun Xian The Chinese Consul-General in San Francisco With permission of your Honor, we merchants, (names of stores) living in Victoria, British Columbia established the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Victoria. We hereby present the Constitution of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Victoria for your ratification, and register it with your office in our permanent interests. Threatened by the foreign oppression and internal troubles, we went to your office in April 1884 to seek your protection. You instructed us that the top priority is to unite all the Chinese in British Columbia to establish the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. If the Association is established, and a management board is elected, we could then arbitrate disputes within Chinese, fight against foreign oppression, and take care of the sick and the poor Chinese. It meets the demand of the Chinese communities, and definitely benefits all the Chinese in British Columbia. You also instructed us to draft a constitution through consultation, and raise funds for the establishment of the Association. We came back to Victoria and informed all the merchants of your instructions. Everyone in the Chinese communities is very grateful, and eager to bear a part. We immediately drafted a constitution, posted a notice for contribution, rent a house as office. In Victoria we raised over $5,000, and in other communities over $10,000. Since it is a new thing, we have difficulties in making it workable. We, therefore, asked for your instructions again. You sent an envoy, Mr. Huang, to assist us. Over and over again, we discussed, and eventually we made this constitution of 37 rules and by-laws. We also submitted a report to the Governor of British Columbia for his approval. The Directors, Vice Directors, Manager, and Councilors are now elected to attend to affairs by the rules and by-laws. From now on we have a representative body through which we can eliminate internal troubles and fight against foreign oppression. Every Chinese, however he is a businessman or worker, enjoys the advantages. It is Your Honor who granted this blessing to us all. We are overseas Chinese residing in British Columbia, whatever matters we have, important or trivial, we should report to the Chinese Ambassador to England for protection. However England is so far away, separated by the Atlantic Sea, and there is no consulate here in Victoria, it takes a long time for our report to reach his honor there. We sincerely request your honor to forward the attached documents to the Chinese Ambassador to England for approval and record. We express again our sincere gratitude to your honor for the blessing and instruction. Attached are: One copy of The Constitution of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Victoria One copy of English Version of The Rules and By-laws of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Victoria One copy of the list of names of the elected Directors and Vice Directors Yours Sincerely, Merchants of Victoria
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