SWITZERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 190, 28 September 1871, Page 6

SWITZERS.

(From onr own Correspondent.) • September 22nd. . >. John Chinaman is the subject of the hour. \ What he is, and what he does, and totiat - will be the probable effect if his countrymen are allowed ,t<rcome among us in large numbers, are points that are freely discussed both here and elsewhere, and in some instances with no small amount of acrimony. The business men generally advocate the introduction of the Chinese. Of course they do it on public grounds ; their private interests are not consulted in connection with such a subject. Patriotic to the last degree, they regard the Chinese as the panacea for all the ills 'of a suffering country. In Bucu a case, is not their presence desirable in large numbers ? Their muscular power must be sustained, and in affording "such sustenance, will not trade flourish, and money be put |in circulation ? Of course Europeans i would be more desirable as colonists, *but they don't come, and the country is dying for want of population ; therefore, the Chinese are better than none j (provided they are wise enough to stick to mining, and leave storekeeping and agricultural pursuits alone.) On the other hand, the. diners look upon them as an objectionable class, who will, in every way, directly affect their interests. The goldfields have been discovered and opened ,up by Europeans at a great .cost of life and wealth. Although large finds have been made from time to time, these have, as a -rule, enabled them to push their discoveries still further, and resulted.more to the benefit of the country than to the -miners individually ; and now when, they are down |to enjoy some benefit in return- for the

many hardships endured, they are ..brought into competition with a people who are notorious for their lack of enterprise. They never go prospecting. Wherever they are found, it is in the wake of the European ; and while they assist tp exhaust the discovered fields, they do not in any way assist to seek others, so that the real effect to the European miner on the goldfields is that of a swarm of locusts to the husbandman. Thus the Europeans are placed at a disadvantage that is quite sufficient of itself to cause them to band together to put a stop to the stream of Chinese immigration. There is also the moral aspect of the case. Those who have seen them where they are congregated together in large numbers, are in a position to give ample testimony of the gross obscenities that are practised at their camps, and of respectable females insulted in the streets and public thoroughfares ; and also of little girls from ten to twelve years of age adduced from their homes to be assotiated every thing that is filthy and horrifying, of which your readers are well informed from the Police Court reports in the Victorian weekly newspapers. Therefore, in the interests of morality, the Chinese already in the province of Otago are numerous enough.

According to announcement, a public meeting was held on the 16th inst., to take such steps as might be thought necessary to put a stop to the further influx of the Chinese, in the Schoolroom. There were a good many persons present, notwithstanding the counter attraction there was in the immediate neighbourhood, where the knight of the hammer, from your quarter, was almost giving things away. Mr. Lette was in the cbair. In introducing the business for which the meeting was called, he gave a long and an appropriate address, showing the various ways in which the miners would be affected by a large number of Chinese coming into the country. After resuming his seat, Mr. G. Collie proposed the following resolution :—": — " It is highly desirable that the miners of Switzers should unite with their brother miners throughout the province in petitioning the Legislature now assembled, to take certain and decisive steps to put a stop to the further influx of the Chinese." Seconded by Mr. M'Eachern, and carried unanimously. The second resolution was proposed by Mr. Clark — " That a petition be got up for the above purpose, and sent to the General Assembly." Seconded by Mr. Kyte, and carried unanimously. The next resolution proposed by Mr. Wilkie was, " That the Arrow petition be adopted," when a long discussion took place on the nineth clause, which was ultimately carried with a slight amendment on the last portion of it, making it to read " those who are already in the" province," instead of "those who bold mining privileges under the present regulations," which was proposed by Mr. Dean, and seconded by Mr. Shaw. After the petition was adopted, a resolution was proposed by Mr. Shaw, and seconded by Mr. Gwynne, " That an association be formed to be called the Switzers District Miners Association," which was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Armstrong, it was resolved " That a Committee be formed, to consist of eleven persons, fire to form a quorum." The following persons were then elected as a Committee.—Messrs. Lette, Shaw, Collie, Eadford, Collins, Armstrong, Wilkie, Gwynne, Brock, Kennedy, and Sutherland. After a vote of thanks to the chair, the business of the meeting was brought to a close. The evening being too far advanced to hold a Committee meeting to appoint the officers, a meeting will be held 10-morrow evening for that purpose, and also to put the petition in motion. A copy of it will be forwarded to Wellington this evening.

A large meeting was held this evening, Mr. Armstrong in the chair, to take into consideration a clandestine sale that is supposed to have been effected by the Waste Lands Board in May last, to Mr. Allan M'Donald, of fifty acres of aurif. rous land, including the Break 'em all Claim, at Actons Flat, during the time the Cargill Government were in office, which is now in the possession of Mr. H. Bastings. The land is known to be auriferous. It not only includes the Break 'em all Claim, but it is bounded i by the Hurleys* Claim, that has been paying well for years — sufficiently so las to cause them to employ a large number of Chinese. There is great excitement in the matter. A telegram >ia to be sent away io-night to Wellington to Messrs. Bradshaw, Brown, and Shepherd, to prevent the Crown grant being issued. A resolution was proposed by Mr. Dean, and seconded by Mr. Bailey, "That the Switzers Miners' Association be requested to take up the question, and do everything they possible can to have the ground again open for the miners."

Liberal' Englishman in Paris: " Bouches inutlles ! What can General Trochu mean by that?' Intelligent friend : " Why, he wishes to expel all persons who have no visible means of subsistence ; in fact," hs' wisher to have no useless mouths in Paris during the seige." Liberal Englishman ; " But, my dear fellow, mine is not a useless mouth — look at it !"