The Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8,1871. CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 264, 8 November 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1871. CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

A Select Committee was recently appointed to enquire into this question, and the evidence taken before it has been published in the form of a Parliamentary paper, and as it contains much interesting matter, we have thought, it expedient to analyse it as briefly as possible. In the first place, Mr. J. T. Thomson, C.E., Commissioner of Crown Lands, Otago, was examined, and from his seventeen years' experience in the Straits Settlements of Penan-?, Singapore, and Malacca, he can speak with some authority upon the subject. He objects to a large introduction of Chinese into New Zealand for' several reasons. (1). On national grounds, because, were they to amount "even, to one-half of the Europeans, they would cause internal weakness ; their baser organisation, and unsympathetic feelings would be prejudicial to us in resisting the attacks of an invader, for the Chinese would look upon U3 as oppressors, and side with any new nationality," in the hope that a new master would be less oppressive. (2) On social grounds, because their most prominent habit, polygamy, is immoral, and destructive of the good of society. They sometimes marry Europeans, but wheu this is the case, their laws do not exclude them from having other wives in China and else- j where. Thus the European woman, ignorant of the effects of the step she has taken, is degraded below the status she claims by her own laws and religion. (3) On the ground of political economy; for while a European laborer gains 6s a day, if he does not spend it all in taxable and excisable goods, he puts it into profitable local investment, such as bouse and land, thus id creasing the store, and building resources, and so, the power of the commonwealth. On the contrary, the alien— for such is, and always will he, the Chinaman — with equal advantages, due solely to the Jaw respecting Europeans, produces the same daily gain, but carries it out of the land, as what he spends cannot exceed Is per diem. To put it more clearly, from 10,000 European laborers, gaining by their exertions £100 "a year each, there would accrue to the commou wealth £1#QO;0OO annually, while a similar ! ; number ofNChinese, earning the same ■would carry nearly all: away to I circulate intytiefrowir countryi. ' (4) There thjle^^'&tr6da^ing j the ; )bathßonie :^t ■dMp^^rosyv'which,: ; though no£ : -v ';-iin ; ciraH ,to-, > !th l ei'^EuropeaD' in hii own (t^y^;?,;. /}ij,fii:/f.;^.»'. ■:,■.'■.''■.'•:■<. '.'. ■■■, ■ '•

country, sometimes strikes him by con-* tagion. Mr. J". H. Maltlaud, who had lived in China for three years, said, " I think no people in the world are so utterly demoralised as the Chinese ; but I think (hey might be desirable as goldfields immigranls, as they are hard-working and frugul, and will work for less pay tlvan a European. To more clearly define myself in speaking of the immorality of the Chinese, I mean in regard to their domestic relations ; they are, besides, mostly thieves when they get the chance. Polygamy is practised amocg them. In their personal habits they are filthy generally, even the upper classes being very dirty." He though t it most undesirable tbat they should be allowed to amalgamate with Europeans, or that intermarriage with European women should be permitted. Also, that they ought to be prevented from voting because as they know nothing of our lauguage or laws, the probability is that the interpreter would possess sufficient influence to command their votes. Mr. Haughton, speaking from personal experience, said that in his opinion the Chinese had not the slightest idea of truth, and cited two instances in which they had acted in concert to defeat the ends of justice by swearing to what were evident falsehoods. He thought that allowing the barbarians to come and take away the gold which should bd the heritage of our successors, was very much the same as allowing a man to cut down all the trees on an estate which should pass to his descendants. Captain Bishop, of the Halcioue, saitl that the few Chinamen he had observed in foreign parts seemed to be well behaved, aud bore excellent characters both from their employers and others. As domestic servants, such as waiters and cooks, he had generally found them handy, tidy, and civil, but on board ship they had proved themselves great thieves. As regards their idea of meum and tutcm, and the sacreduess of the sexes, he considered they were very depraved, and they are so addicted to gambling that when they have a few dollars they gamble with each other until one or another wins the lot. He thought that the introduction of them into the Colony in large numbers would have a very prejudicial effect upon the population. Dr Hector, when asked whether he though t there would be any danger to the colony, from a sanitary point of view from the importation of Chiuese, replied that he considered them scrofulous, and leprous, but there was a difference of opinions as to whether these diseases were contagious; for his own part he was inclined to think they were. With reference to their general moral character, he had seen them employed in large numbers in San Francisco, where he never heard aoy complaints of their misconduct ; at, the same time he did not believe they would hesitate at crime, if there were much chance of escaping detection. He disapproved of their introduction in any numbers, and would certainly hold out no inducement to them to settle in a country like this. Mr. Webster had had a large experience, extending over twenty years, among Chinese in different parts ot the world, but had always found them good laborers as compared with any people; untiring, patieDt, and persevering, and never afraid of undertaking a job, no matter how long and tedious it might be. Id the matter of morality they are not regarded as very strict in their ideos, and petty thefts are common amongst them, but not, much more so. than amongst a similarly low class in the city of London. In their own country, and amongst themselves, and in their own families, he did not believe tbat there were any people more careful in their reverence for social obligations, who paid such respect to their parents, or who more respected their wives and family relations than the Chinese. The commonest and most degraded amongst them would be . able, to, read and write, and would carry his veneration for his parents to such an extent as to be searcely conceivable to a European. They were also superior in what was one test of civilisation — their booses were more neatly and better kept, and their cooking of a far better description. He did hot think they excluded Europeans from the goldfields, as they would generally work ground that /a European would not look at. To put ; it shortly, they would live where a European 1 would starve. Looking at the matter from a political point of view, he should, say tbat if the country became, swarmed with Chinese it would culminate in a struggle for existence, the result of which;! Would, be that; their superior industry. and, ; plodding perseverance would, in the end, eat us out of house and home; providing ! ih^ef^pncß, took Ji h'o'ld ' upon, ' Jarid) f tubing* out sneer pßysicaljyjforoe^iWpuldj ' enable us to obtain dominion over them. That however, was such a remote con-

tingency that any alarm would be groundJess. Personally, he would have no objection to their introduction and should rather like to see them allowed to come to the country without let or hindrance. The evidence of the Wardens of the various goldfields was taken in writing in reply to a set of questions sent to each of them. To these we shall refer tomorrow.