( 19 ) 
24. In its origin immigration from China to the 
Straits was, like that from India, purely voluntary and 
unassisted and, like that from India, for a long time 
was carried on without any supervision by Government. 
But that the question of protection of these 
immigrants was very early considered is shown by the 
following extract from an Ordinance of the 1st May, 
1823, published by Sir Stamford Raffles: — 
“ As it frequently happens that free labourers 
and others are brought from China and elsewhere 
as passengers, who have not the means of paying 
for their passage, and under the expectation that 
individuals resident in Singapore will advance 
the amount of it on condition of receiving the 
services of the parties for a limited period in 
compensation thereof — such arrangements are pot 
deemed objectionable provided the parties are 
landed as free persons, but in all cases the amount 
of passage money or otherwise is' limited to 
twenty dollars, and the period of service by an 
adult in compensation thereof shall in no case 
exceed two years, and every such engagement 
shall be entered into with the free consent of the 
parties in presence of a Magistrate, and duly 
registered.” 
This Ordinance apparently dropped out of notice 
and nothing is heard of the subject till the seventies. 
References to immigration appear from time to time 
in the journal of the Indian Archipelago but nowhere 
is the existence of any form of control mentioned. 
After considerable opposition, the Chinese Immigrants 
Ordinance of 1873 was passed but never brought into 
force. < 
