THE CHINESE QUESTION IN AMERICA.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 631, 27 June 1876, Page 3

THE CHINESE QUESTION IN AMERICA.

The San Francisco correspondent of the Argus writes ; The movement against the Chinese immigration to this coast is more earnest and widely spread than at first supposed. It engages the attention not only of the white working classes, but also of our merchants and leading politicians, who appear to be at length fully awake to the danger that threatens from this coolie competition in our midst. A committee of the State Senate has been in session in this city for some weeks past taking testimony from all sorts of people, including the presidents of the six Chinese companies, in regard to the habits, manners, business, and numbers of these Asiatics, with the view of preparing a complete report, to be laid before the National Congress, that may have the effect of abrogating the Burlingame treaty, or at least modifying it to a degree that will render it available for commercial purposes only. The municipal authorities are enforcing the health and police ordinances, in respect to this people with a rigour heretofore unknown, and have already closed up all their gambling hells and houses of prostitution, which had become a scandal and disgrace to the community. The various trade associations have passed resolutions not to patronise or traffic with business men who employ Chinese, and to mark for avoidance all hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, or other places whore they are engaged in any capacity. Meanwhile, the representatives from the coast arc urging the question on the attention of Congress with a zeal that shows a new appreciation of the earnestness of their constituents in the matter. The Chinese merchants, who are more than a match for their Caucasian rivals in business, had taken advantage of the greed of gain characteristic of the American, which winks at all future consequences in the prospect of immediate profit, and laid off for themselves the choicest portions of the city for their stores and workshops by means of temptingly-high rents to the owners of the property. Now it is mooted among other measures of suppression, that they be compelled to move, and in future be confined to less desirable quarters, where their presence will nohbe so offensive to the nicer ideas of white’eivilisation. But this measure, in my opinion, will be found impracticable. The San Francisco Chronicle of April 21st says— The Senate Chinese committee'met again yesterday at the City hall, Messrs Haymond, M'Coppin, Pierson, and Donovan being present. D, C. Woods, superintendent of the Industrial School, was sworn and examined. He testified that the effect of the presence of Chinese prostitution in the city is very bad upon the American boys. Many of the lads now in the Industrial School are afflicted with loathsome diseases, and pro-

bably fifty out of 250 sent to the school since he had been there had been afflicted in this way. The boys tell him that the disease was contracted in the Chinese quarter. The next witness it was the committee’s intention to examine was the president 'of the Yan Wo Company, but there being no interpreter present it became necessary to suspend business until one wa* found. In about an hour a Chinaman was procured who could chatter in *■ pigeon English,” and brought before the committee. The president of the Yan Wo Association was then examined. On Thursday last this individual promised to confer with the six companies and ascertain if they were willing to move out of the city. He had consulted with his brother officers, and they had severally decided that they would not move, stating as a reason the fact that their business interests would not permit of any such proceeding. He said that about 100,000dol worth of property was owned by the Chinese in their portion of the city. He could not tell whether the Globe Hotel was owned by Chinamen or not. As to sending the sick Mongolians to China the witness could give no definite answer. The interpreter, who is the inspector of the Sam Yap Company, was then sworn. He has resided twenty-four years in California, and last December he declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States. In answer to a question, the witness stated that he rather liked a free country, and would prefer to remain in California rather than return to his native land. He said a good many Chinamen were going to become citizens, and that the Americans would like the Chinese when they could vote and assist in making good laws, thus betraying an unexpected amount of sagacity. The committee then passed resolutions requesting the chief of police to detail a competent officer to collect statistics regarding the number of Chinese employed in varioas avocations in San Francisco. The continued agitation of the all absorbing"question of Chinese immigration, and the employment of the industrious Mongolians in different avocations, has been the indirect means of developing some interesting facts concerning the men who employ this class of labour, and their appearance before the public assumes anything but enviable proportions, The shoemakers of San Francisco have been particularly oppressed by the introduction of cheap labor in their trade, and have long wished for an opportunity to expose a class of business men who have been misrepresenting their goods to the public as the work of white men, while it was wholly that of the Celestials.