H.—No. 5.

The Select Committee on Chinese Immigration have the honor to submit this, their first ad interim Report. Tour Committee, immediately after their appointment, took active steps to collect all available information on the subject. Circulars were sent out, containing a number of queries, to Chief Officers of Police in the various Provinces, to "Wardens of Gold Fields, and to various gentlemen of the medical profession, replies to most of which have been received, aud have been considered by your Committee. Tour Committee have also forwarded, through the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, a request to the Governments of the neighbouring Colonies of Victoria and New South Wales, for the furnishing of such data as the experience of those colonies, with regard to the Chinese question, will enable them to afford. Tour Committee have also examined a number of witnesses, whose attendance was procured without any expense to the Colony, including Mr. J. T. Thompson, C.E., Commissioner of Crown Lands, Otago ; Mr. John Ah Tong, Wellington; Mr. Maitland; Captain Bishop, of the ship Halcione ; Dr. Hector ; G. M. Webster, Esq., M.H.R.; G. B. Parker, Esq., M.H.8.; and C. E. Haughton, Esq., M.H.R. On the receipt of replies from Victoria and New South Wales, your Committee will have concluded their labours, and will bring up such recommendations as may appear to them expedient. Meantime, your Committee beg to present herewith copies of the Evidence already taken, and request permission for the printing of the same. Wm. J. Stewabd, To the Honorable the House of Eepresentatives. Chairman.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Monday, lira Septembeb, 1871. Mr. J. T. Thomson, C.E., Commissioner of Crown Lands, Otago, in attendance, and examined. 1. Witness stated: I was between sixteen and seventeen years resident in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Singapore, and Malacca. In Penang, there were 90,000 Malays and 15,000 Chinese. The Chinese, though more industrious than the indigenous inhabitants (the Malays), were much more turbulent; indeed, latterly so much so that the European inhabitants had to take refuge in the forts on several occasions. In a letter received about twelve months ago, I was informed to this effect: —That the European settlers were stricken with the utmost dismay by the riots of tho Chinese; so much so, that fear of massacre forced them to leave their houses and plantations. The Chinese were only kept at bay by the assistance of the Malays and the timely visit of a man-of-war. In Singapore, there were about 10,000 Malays and 70,000 Chinese. Here, also, rioting, gaming, robbery and turbulence, is the intermittent practice of the Chinese. They are much given to secret societies, such as the well-known Tui Tae Iluey, which is the most notorious of them, and whose object is to thwart the Government, and screen murderers and robbers from justice. The internal feuds between tribe and tribe have frequently called for the utmost efforts of the Government, and have periodically put the settlement into great commotion. In Malacca, since the discovery of the tin mines, a great accession of Chinese population took place. There were here about 60,000 Malays and 20,000 Chinese, yet the latter were the cause of most expense in keeping up the military and police. The miners gave great trouble by defying the Government, which necessitated several military expeditions against them, in which there was much bloodshed. In the Malay States of Penang and Pirak, bloodshed and violence often took place from the fact of the Chinese evading the royalties and dues. In Java, the Dutch Government, in respect to the interests of the Natives of that populous island, had to enact most stringent regulations for the entry of Chinese, under the shape of head-money and personal security for good behaviour, as the extinction of the natives from their lands and the abstraction of their women was rapidly going on. They were here also found to be so turbulent that they in tho last century rose against the Dutch Government with the view of their expulsion, and were only suppressed by the concentration of the whole forces of the State, which resulted in a general massacre in fiatavia, where the rising was quelled. Such is a general view of the Chinese in a remote and outlying European settlement. This is not to ignore the fact that excellent men are to be found amongst them ; indeed such men as would be an honor to any country. In New Zealand, a limited introduction can do little harm, but a large introduction will call for the most assiduous attention of Government. In the latter case, the subject must be looked at in several

AD INTERIM REPORT (No. I.) OF THE CHINESE IMMIGRATION COMMITTEE.