The Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2734, 21 November 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1871.

Amongst the Parliamentary Papers to hand by the last mail, is the final report of the Chinese Immigration Committee appointed on the 29th August last. Prom the brief summary of the proceedings as detailed in the report, the Committee seems to have used the best means in their power to gain the information sought. Thirteen witnesses were personally examined: ten goldfields wardens supplied special reports of the conduct of the Chinese on the goldfields ; four principal officers of police, besides other members of the force in the Colony, furnished statistics and other information : medical men supplied answers to questions on the sanitary aspects of the case. Replies were received to circulars sent to persons supposed to have special knowledge on the subject: and letters were sent to the neighboring colonies asking the result of their experience of the effects of Chinese immigration thither. To these, replies have not been furnished. The House of Representatives remitted petitions from the miners on the subject to the Committee for consideration, but as the final report em bodies one general reply to them all, there is no need of special mention of them. It would seem that the Colonies are not fully at liberty to exclude the Chinese, even if they would, as the matter is somewhat complicated by “ the first official “ communication from the Crown of “ England to the Chinese Imperial authorities,” in which the latter are asked to grant certain privileges to British subjects, and similar privileges

are offered to the Chinese. These which are embodied in the Treaty of Peace signed before Nankin in 181-', and confirmed by the Treaty of TienSin in 1858, secure those equal privileges to the Chinese throughout the British Empire. It would appear therefore that, even if desirable any act of the Legislature of the Colony having their total exclusion for its object might bo considered vMm licilv.m by the Home authorities. Ihe conclusions at which the Committee arrived, with their reasons, are thus summarised :

The evidence and information thus taken and collected has been very various m its character, showing wide differences of opinion as regards the various points of your Committee’s enquiry, but your Committee find that the balance of evidence is largely in favor of the following statements, ' l l, That the Chinese are industrious and frugal, . . 2. That they are as orderly citizens as Europeans. , 3. That there is no special risk to the morality or security of the community to be apprehended from their presence m the C< 4° ny Tliat they arc not likely to introduce any special infectious diseases. 5. That they are well adapted for menial and light mechanical and for agricultural occupations. 6. Hut that nearly all those who come to this Colony do so for the purpose of mining for gold. 7. That, as a rule, they occupy and turn to good account ground which at present

would not pay the European miner. 8. That, as a rule, they return to China so soon as they have amassed a net sum ot from I 100 upwards. 9. That no considerable number ot tncm are at any time likely to become permanent settlers in the country. 10. That they spend less per head than the European population. 11. That the presence of Chinese in the country has not hitherto entailed any additional police expenditure. In view of the foregoing the Committee arc of opinion that there have been no sufhcient grounds shown for the exclusion ot Lie Chinese; and that no sufficient case has up to the present time been made out to require the 'committee to propose that legislative action should be taken having for effect the exclusion of the Chinese or the imposition of special burdens upon them.