THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 23, 22 January 1879, Page 2

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

The following is I lie text of Ihe petition drawn up by the Anti-Chinese Committee rur present ul ion to the General Assembly: — To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of Ihe General Assembly of .New Zealand. The petition of the inhabitants of the Provincial District of Wellington, humbly showsrth — That \ our "petitioners view with alarm the possible introduction of large numbers of Chinese into the Colony, to be employed m a miinner cleat ruetire of the best interests of its inhabitants. That immigration of this character is not m ncrord with the teelinsjs of the people the habits and customs »H he Chinese t>eiog of such .1 nature as to vitiaie the moral atmosphere of any community m which they, are permitted 10 live m large rumbero. That the tendency of Chinese immigration is to degrade the social status and moral welfare of t.';e grfnt hody of the pe<v pie, a phase of the question m which the working classes are chiefly concerned. That* l lie Chinese .Empire maintains a population variously estimated at from 350,000,000 to 400,000,000, unri your petitino'rs believe that unless prohi -itive men* snre3 are adopted, many thousands of Chinese will be introduced into thin Co)ony. That, the influx of many thousands of Chinese will greatly lower the rates of wages will lower the general stand ird of living, and will tend greatly to degrade ninny of our fellow cdnntrv-inen ; I hut additional changes will be thrown upon our benevolent asylums, gaoj, hoajjitaU, and orphanaijes, H*nd there will he much distress and wene'ral deterioration of our population. That emjg-ftlion on large scale from China h being encouraged by powerful or^ gatoisations under the direction and ooiHroi oi" He«dmen..who are the wo?al specie* of tfnffi-kers m human labor. That one of the iinmediVte effects of Chinese im'«Vu ion, with its cheap labor, will be to discourage imn>.igiMtv>n f*->m Great Briuan to the^e shows, and thiw defeat the 'o»»W*t of of lho.-«e eminent colon, jzers who lud tht> foun.lation of settle. rtent' m New Zealand as a means by which to. improve the i!..ridiiion of the laboring, arid artiz-in 'classes oi the Mother Country, hy opening out a new field for their energy and skill. . That Chinero immigr»t*>n i*, an m many renpects, worse than the Coolie labor system of tropical colonies -which Ims Keen, «o often adversely commented upon m the British Parliament— hecatwe, while tha Coolio trade m carried on under the immediate supervi«bn of British nflk'iuU. t ha, Chinese immigrant*, though uoinimllv responsible to thft authori'ie'i* ofthemi'mie* m which they reside, aro really rujeil b>; the Headmen. That your jwlijionew ipee thirt th« worth of the Stalfe »*, «n the lon« run, thf. worth of the iifJiVi .UwUfiwnprisin* it " For \ hi* reason your pat )i)^»e>-» h*ve «-ome to. the coataunoii thrn* tt\« ao.-iil plwe Mby by far the i»a*t-ii»f»ortJioi p=irt «>f-.th« <\«W.-; tion. If a com «:mity i* t» bt» }wru»*»ne»>tiy ; : happy and prosperous, n^pre «honl«|- he":»---fair projiortiou nf t<es<?S. Unless this. soeUi condition i« oS.«erv?d, xnnnj ev\U must re?\iJt. The h»4''>e*t i»uUori«ws up'»ci *m-'vi) wienee a^ree that. di'<ase >(• more prer ,^V )' iv'i ■•••• l-n« nu nher* "'' any race lire m s *t«tpo f «" •♦•"•<•■'•. •«* piitpiMefettiire m ChirteSf Colonial life

exerci«e of foresight and mgnrrfry 'on tb# : part of the Member* of the Legislature nt -v. New Ztjulitiid, wliv, ws trdst, will not be UHinititlful of tbo imwtfi*lß of thn» whoit*ili« <ldp«ndenc»«iiri property tt»iwiM«- ih y. labr.r. . - ■■■ . , ■■■: \i,#&l Tl>rtt-. s fht Chinese 'penjile/ whwever %ntf ; hecdine numerotrs, bu> and *ell ino«t;e»»^ elusive! j through \\mr He.i<i'iian, and d<J . little to encourtigtJ the geaeind traile of thtf country. Thai nearly thirty y«irtt of Chineae immi^rution has proved thnfc the Chines** a* a mcc. are unable to untierateud tiieoa* ture of our politic il pririlege* »nd inatita* tions, and afcS therefore unfit to be en* trusted with the electoral franchise... Eop this reusort, if for no other, we conuder them undesirable a« ootoniit*. That ufler considernt ion of the foregoing statements we humbly uak that • l»w be parsed plucinit a tut £ —per Imicl upon nil Chinese .immigrants ; thai the «nid lax be mttde payable by I he owntZt* and captains of such vessels n* shall brin* any Chinese to any port of New Zenlimcl, and thitt th» ressel be held as lien until t ie tax i* paid. That your petitioner* earnestly hope that your honorable bodies, m their do* liberal ive capacities, will not undorntte the solemn importuned of the subject. Ami your petitioner*, mm duty bound, will ertr pray. . .. ..." j|