CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1169, 30 September 1865, Page 5

CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

A VOICE ritOM THE GOLD FIELDS,

(To the Editor of the Daily Times.)

Sir—l am one of (hose who were on the Victorian g Id fields when Chinamen were first introduced there, and for the last ' thirteen years have been on goldfields; and it may be more beneficial to have practical experience in connection with the important subject of Chinese immigration, than the theory and assumption of those who really can know very little about them. | I shall endeavor to shew the deteriorating I effects that will result from their intro- ' duction, and let you know that the miners and those that have had dealings with the Chinese, consider them tbe greatest thieves under the sun ; and from their contact with them do not fiold them in the same esteem as " Delta" and " Citizen ;" and cau only wonder where they got their information from, for I can assure you I was not aware that John Chinaman ever possessed such a good character, or that they were such an ncqin-dtion to any colony. John willfeel quite pioud when he hears that he is so hijihly esteemed, that he is to be the salvation of Otago. I have no doubt if their learned and highly interested laudators forward them tluir real names and addresses, John will forward them their thanks, aud embellish their names with letters of gold. The Chamber of Commerce, composed of shipowners and merchants, are beginning to get alarmed at the exodus of miners to the West Coast, snd find themselves in a quandary. Not knowing how to dispose of their heavy stocks, they wish to introduce the Chinese, whom they expect to make a market out of; and as long as they serve tbeir own pockets—which is their God—they care not what injury they inflict on those classes who will be most affected by their introduction. It is well known to all that Otago is as open to Chinamen as it is to any one else •, and John knotvs it too. But he wants guaranteed protection to life and property—the Government, as yet, bave refused to give them (what would prove a rather expensive experiment) any more or different protection than they do Europeans. The Chamber of Commerce must be aware that John will never put his foot in the Province till special protection is granted him; which, mo doubt, it will toy to \* impwwed on the

public is a very simple thing—a mere matter of form. May I ask, if John Chinaman is such a desirable colonist at represented, why he requires a protection a black man would not ask for ? Where, I would ask you, will you find a more enlightened and w« 11-c-mducted class of men than the miners of Otago. It i-< some thing •more than ignorance and prejudice that influences them in opposition to und hatred of John Chinaman. The idea of their intermarrying with Europeans is quite horrible. None but the most abandoned creatures, who are lost to all sen*e of .ibame, would ever think of marrying a Chinaman. Nearly all of them have left one or two wives,behind them ; and their sole idea is to accumulate gold enough to settle down comfortably in their own conn- I try. The only way to make them settle down, would be to cut their tails off; they ! could not go back to their own country without them. The miners of Otago contn I bute more to the revenue than any other I class; they pay 20. for a miner's rightj numerous feos lor their claims; aud also out of every L 3 18s they earn, thty have to pay 2s Qd to the Government; and, not ! only that, they consume tho«e kind ol goods on which the duty of 5s per foot, i falts the heaviest. What has been done with our share of the* money ? It has been appropiated to theetnbellishmeut and enhancing the value ol propert. in Dunedin and its environs, not to making us good roads, and thus reducing the price of cartage. The miners are too busy to growl about these things. At Wetht-r.Jtones, con taining a population of about 600, we have one Policeman, and he cannot find any thing to do, except hunting up any unfortunate digger that has an unre^istcr.d dog (as a means of keeping away the pi_s from eating up his tucker) The miners have a certain knowledge of the"permanency of these goldfields ; that they will give permanent and paying occupation to Europeans for the next twenty years. It is a hard thing for them, after building their snug little paces and cultivating their gardens, that they will have to clear out to make room for a lot of idolatrous barbarians. If the Government offer, any inducement to the Chinese to come here ior the purpose of overrunning us with cheap labor, and taking the bread from our mouths, they will find that there is *-uch a thing as danger in oppressing the diggers too far; and they wiil find it will require a regiment of soldiers and one hundred and fifty additional police to protect them, and force them upon us against our will*. Owing to the mountainous nature of the country, the want of road., telegraphic communication, &c, it would be impossible to protect them, and very heavy demtnds will be made on the Government should any fracas take place ; which, should they come here, will be a matter of certainty. For, do not be surprise*! if the miners rie en masse and drive Mr To mie's p:ti down to Dunedin, where, as they are so mu;h praised as being good gardener-*, they can cultivate greens for the merchants, and catch Baracouta ior the Old Identity. I will now shew you how the country «ill be ruined hy the miny to sitisfy the few, whose benefits would dwindle down in a short time, when the Chinese merchants and stores pot established. You will see that any man by depositing L2O can take up ten acres of land under the mining lease regulations, Chinese capitalists would avail themselves of this, and send over for their own countrymen in Victoria, and employ them at half-a-crown a day. Five or six Chinamen conld take up all the ground about Wetherstones, and they are wide awake enough to do that. I may menti >n an instance of a party at Wetherstones having applied for a lease of three acres of auriferous ground upward* of two years ago, they deposited L2O, which deposit grant 9 protection, and the party depositing can go and work the ground as soon as they like. The ground I write of has been wrought out eighteen months ago, and still no lease has been granted ; the con-, sequence is, no rent can be demanded. The Chinese would take up ground on this system; and, if tbey worked it out quickly, would never have to p-iy any rent (L 5 per acre), but could demand back their money, from which, with survey and other fees, would only be deducted about L 8 out ofthe L2O.

Any one Chinaman, by depositing five separate sums of L2O, can take tip 100 acres of good payable grouud, and then could let it remain idle until the base is granted ; which, as the way regulations are carried out, and the way the mining department is managed in Dunedin, might be for years to come. The ground, wheu it is protected like this, no European cm take even a sod off it without being liable to prosecution. Thus, you see, if they cannot work the ground out from any cause, they still can let it reman idle with impunity. During the temporary a'smce of the miners at the rush, 50 or GO Chinese capitalists might take up all the available ground in the Province that is already unoccupied, to the exclusion of all European miners. The gold fields of Otago have been discovered aud developed by European skill aud enterprise, and it would be unjust to deprive them of their future means of support during the excitement of the rush, to satis'y the inordinate rapacity of a few imp* rters and shipping agen'B. 1 admit that if you meet with a real Chinaman, you will nearly always find him a perfect gentleman, but confidently assert that four-fifths of the Chinese in Victoria are the Mongolian scum of their coun-ry. The miners are thankful to Mr Batbgite far his manly conduct in exposing to the view of the public that his mates in the Chamber of Commerce might have ulterior views in their movement other than the good of their country, and they also deprecate " Citizen ot the World's" splenetic attacks on Mr Bathgate for his mild observations in search of truth, which were perfectly unjustifiable. Trusting the Government will not taite any steps to turn this Province into a C.lestial Empire, and hoping you will be kind enough to insert this.—-I am, &c. John Bennett. Wetherstones, Sept. 26, 1865.

Submarine Telegraph betwkks Italy and Africa.—-A new submarine cable is to be laid shortly between SicUy arid Algeria, and Marsala and Biserta. Italy will thus be directly connected with Attica by two telegraphic lines establishing immediate communication with Tunis and Algeria. As these lines are to be carried overthe island of Favognaua, a new telegraptt station m.l be established at. Out point.— Reutet** Hxjprem