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Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 131, 9 July 1853, Page 12

Immigration of Chinese Labourers and j Servants. | "VTOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,—That J -L-X; the Undersigned have resolved to open; i without delay a direct communication with; China for the purpose of trade ; and at the ] same time they are willing on certain conditions to aid in supplying the present urgent demand for labour in New Zealand, by introducing a limited number of Chinese labourers and servants.. The commercial and shipping arrangements are in a state of forward preparation, but with respect to the immigration the Undersigned must be entirely guided by .the demand from the public which may be addressed to them. In order to ascertain such demand, it has been arranged that applications for labourers or servants will bereceived by any of the undersigned at. Wellington, and by Messrs. Cookson, Bowler and Co., at Lyttelton (from whom printed forms of application may be obtained) until the 15th July next. Each application must state distinctly and particularly the sort of work for which thelm- \ migrant labourer or servant is required, and ', the maximum wages which the applicant will not object to, so that the Supercargo of the vessel despatched to Shangbae, and the Commercial house there to which he will be accredited, may be able, in the selection of Immigrants, both to meet the special wants ot every applicant, and to enter into proper contracts with the. persons engaged. It has been calculated that the whole cost of engagement and passage for each person will be from £10 to £12. Each application must be accompanied by a receipt from the Union.Bank of Australia for the sum of £5, as being deposited with 'them in the' name of the undersigned, by whom the deposits will be held until the arrival of the Immigrant, when a further payment of probably £5, but not exceeding £7, must be made in respect oi each application. In case, through any unforeseen events, the applications should not be satisfied by the.arrival of immigrants, the deposit will.be returned, either in full, or (in the improbable case of actual dossby the Undersigned in the Immigration branch of the undertaking, through accidents which they pledge themselves to spare no pains in endeavouring to avert), with a deduction not exceeding £2. If there should beany deficiency in the arrival of the number of Immigrants applied for, the distribution of the immigrants will be so arranged that the deficiency shall be borne by Applicants for more than a single immigrant, in proportion to the number of persons applied for by each. With respect to the rate of wages and period of service, to be stipulated for in the contracts with the immigrants, much must necessarily be left to the discretion of the Undersigned, their Supercargo, and their Correspondents at Shangbae, but there are general reasons for believing that the ordinary term of service will be from five to seven years, and the rate of wages very moderate. Amongst the working classes in China, great numbers of whom are always eager to emigrate when they can be inspired with a confident belief of being well-treated in tbe foreign country to which they are invited, there are persons entirely qualified by industrious and skilful habits to become valuable servants, as shepherds and stock-keepers, mechanics of every description, workers in : the dairy, sawyers, fishermen, gardeners, cooks, grooms, footmen, &c.,. but the great bulk of such Immigrants invariably save nearly the -whole of their wages, and return to their own country, after adding in a far greater proportion to the wealth of their employers. If the first Immigrants should prosper in New Zealand, it may be confidently anticipated that an Emigration to this country of Chinese labour,ers and servants will be maintained spontaneously at the cost of the emigrants; but, of course, the measures for beginning such an emigration experimentally, and by way of example, call for the utmost care and circumspection. The Northern port of Shangbae has been selected for the first attempt, as being that of a part of China, where the climate is colder than that of New Zealand, and where there is a vast ruvai population, eagerly disposed to emigrate, and as far superior in industry, habits, and general conduct, to the sweepings of Canton which have principally supplied emigration from China to Australia, as the selected rural emigrants from Britain by whom New Zealand has been chiefly peopled, were superior to the