H.—No. 4.

8

AD INTERIM REPORT (No. I.) OE THE

29. Do you not think it possible that the alibi you mentioned might have been a good one, although you certainly make a rather telling point by the question asked you, as to how many witnesses would be required ?—I have not the slightest doubt in that case, because the man had such a remarkable appearance that it would be impossible to mistake him ; he was the ugliest man I ever saw in my life. 30. Do not most of the European miners in this Colony look upon Victoria as their home; and, granted that they spend more money in the country than the Chinese, do they not contemplate permanently settling in Australia ?■ —ln my own district they are settled down, and have their children about them; all that they wish for is that the district may be made habitable by roads and trades, and the ordinary facilities for real bond fide settlement afforded them. In one place alone, the Twelve Mile, I know of upwards of eighty miners with families ; and it is a pleasing sight, in going about the district, to see how comfortably they are located. They have further availed themselves, to a large extent, of the agricultural lease regulations. I think it is only in isolated cases that miners do not look to settling in the country. Many who went back to Victoria have again come back to the Wakatipu. 31. Do you not think you are too severe in calling the work of the Chinese, in extracting the last pennyweight of gold from the ground, as " devastating " ?—No ; I use the words " devastating the country " in a mining sense. 32. Mr. Macandrew.] What remedy would you propose ? —I have thought a great deal about this matter, but the idea of a duty or tax, such as was attempted to be carried out in Victoria two or three years ago, is utterly absurd; the Imperial Government will not sanction it. I am, again, opposed to any exceptional taxation on any class of colonists, as a matter of principle. My own opinion is, that, considering the peculiar characteristics of our gold fields, and the limited amount of ground available for alluvial mining, and the prospect of a very large European immigration in the carrying out of the policy of the Government, the House would be justified in taking the course I suggest —that is, to insert a clause into the Gold Fields Act which would absolutely prohibit Chinese from obtaining mining property in their own right, by prohibiting the issue of " Miners' Rights " to them. Considering their effect upon the general weal; the bad effects likely to result from their example, socially, morally, and politically ; and that they are taking possession of the best parts of the country, practically driving out the European population, —I think it is time the Parliament of the country interfered. 33. Assuming that Parliament did so, do you think they would prevent Europeans employing Chinese, even in mining operations ?—I have thought over that phase of the question ; and I think public feeling is so strong against the Chinese, that, on the Otago Gold Fields at least, no man would be likely to employ them. 34. In quartz mining, for example, do you not think companies would be induced to take advantage of Chinese labour ? —I am not so well acquainted with the nature of the labour required in quartz mining, but I do not think the Chinese are suitable for that description of work. 35. But if they could be induced, I presume the objections you have raised would be modified ?— I would have no objection to their getting possession of land by purchase, and then working it as they liked. What I mean is, that you should not allow Chinese to obtain those rights under the Act which the miner's right gives to the holder; I would not give them miners' rights. 36. I would like to supplement my answer to one question which was put in regard to the conduct of the Chinese when in a majority. I know that in my own district (at the Cardrona) they have behaved with great violence, and in more than one instance have driven Europeans from claims by force. In several other cases I have known them to display a spirit different from that which Mr. Maitland considers characteristic of them. From what I have seen of their conduct on different occasions, I think that, when they get the upper hand of Europeans, they are ready and prone to abuse their power. 37. Mr. Reynolds.] Are you aware of the amount of duty paid by some of the Chinese merchants ?—I have no knowledge. 38. Perhaps you are not aware that there is a Chinese merchant in Dunedin who pays on certain articles more duty than all the other merchants in Dunedin ? —I am not. 39. Mr. Macandrew.] Are you aware that that identical Chinese merchant found it necessary to go through the Court; and that his countrymen, hearing of it, came forward and subscribed so liberally, that he was enabled to pay twenty shillings in the pound, so that there are some redeeming features about them ?—I know that they are very regular in their business transactions, and generally pay cash. 40. Mr. White.] I would like to hear something more definite from you as to the immorality of the Chinese. —Nothing has been brought specifically under my notice in my own district in this respect; nothing save the general idea which everybody seems to entertain on the point. 41. Mr. Thomson.] I do not think you have explained yourself with sufficient clearness in regard to the Chinese working out all the gold and destroying the ground ?—My argument is this: the Chinese take up ground which will not pay the European at the present day, considering the rate of wages and other circumstances, though the ground would be practically valuable in a few years, when a larger population is spread over the country ; but in the meantime the Chinese are taking out the gold which should be the heritage of our successors. Allowing these barbarians to come and take that heritage away as they are doing, is much the same as allowing a man to cut down all the trees on an estate which should pass to his descendants.

Monday, 25th Septembeb, 1871. Captain Bishop in attendance, and examined. 42. Witness stated: —l am master of the ship " Halcione," and have been to Chinese ports on varioxis occasions. During a number of years I sailed out of Hong Kong and Whampoa, but chiefly out of Shanghai; and during that period I had numerous opportunities of observing the manners and customs of the Chinese, as they were constantly on board employed in doing our work. On four