THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1630, 26 August 1871, Page 3

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

The following petition against the influx of Chinese into the province has been drawn up by the Arrow Distiict Miners' Association, who intend, we believe, to forward it to every Goldlicld in the province, and to Dunedin, for signature :—: — To the Honourable House of Representatives, this petition humbly sheweth — 1. That your Petitioners consist of Miners and others resident on the (loldrields of Otago and its capital, and who arc largely interested in the tuture prosperity of the province. 2. '['hat your petitioners, claim to have discovered the (ioldfields ot Otago, have endured many years of hardship and privation in their development and extension, and have by their efforts raised them to their present high position as \aluablo lields of labour, certain through time to attract a very large European immigration. 'A. That your petitioners are most loyal subjects of Her Britannic Majesty — intelligent, industrious, and well-disposed — composed of individuals in the prune of manhood, and inured to the hardest toil ; that therefore they are highly desirable colonists. 4. That large numbers of Chinese have been permitted to locate themselves upon the (Joldiields of Otago, and that their numbers are increasing so rapidly as to alarm your petitioners, who fear that they (the ( 'hinese) w r ill soon vastly outnumber the Europeans, and absorb almost the whole of the woikable auriferous deposits. 5. That the Chinese belong to a totally different race of men, with whom your petitioners cannot assimilate in any respect. That they do not bring their wives with them, which fact must tend to lower the standard of morality in the province. That their presence will create a formidable barrier against any addition to our population from .Europe, anil counterbalance the good which might result from the reduced rate of passage money from Europe provided by the Government of New Zealand, to such an extent that your petitioners believe the moment has arrived when you will have to make your choice between "Europeans aiiil Mongolians as your future population, as experience emphatically teaches that the two races cannot both prosper when brought into close contact ; and your petitioners would point out the fact that by encouraging Chinese immigration a serious loss must result to British

commerce, as the Chinese nation will reap the principal benefit of their trade, and also of the money they may realize.

(i. That ZSew Zealand incurs an enormous expense of blood and ti't-asure, in opening up these islands for settlement, in doing which large debts are incurred to which our posterity will have to contribute, and that it is therefore unjust to Her Majesty's subjects to allow fields of labour opened at such vast sacrifices to lie overrun and impoverished by the subjects of a foreign power, who do not intend to make this country their home, and who evade payment towards its revenue whenever possible. 7. That by the principle of International Law as recognised l)y Great Britain and the United States of America, which form the basis of the Treaty of Washington, it is distinctly laid down that the natural resoiirees of a British colony (such as the Dominion of Canada) are not to be thrown open to the occupation or enjoyment of the citizens of other nations, except under special treaty, and then only in consideration of equally valuable concessions, and advantages given as an equivalent. In support of this, our petitionei-a beg to quote clauses IS, 22. and Xi, of said treaty.

S. That both ( 'alifornia and Australia acknowledge that the presence of the Chinese in large numbers in tlieir midst is to be deplored ; and your petitioners would draw t \ our attention to the great expense it will entail upon the colony to provide Chinese interpreters and detectives, such as they have in Victoria, where the gaols are full of Chinese, notwithstanding the difficulty of detecting crime among them, not forgetting the hardships and privations which the miners and other residents of the Goldfields of Victoria have to endure from the numerous depredations committed by the Chinese on their propcty ; in fact to such an extent were their robberies carried, that no portable property was considered safe ; and, moreover, the Chinese do not scnrple to commit murder when caught in the act of robbery. The gross immoralities practised in their camps constitute them the head quarters of prostitution, and the reiuge of gamblers, thieves, and assassins. Europeans cannot compete with Chinese in the labour market, and great poverty and distress must result to your petitioners, which will be more intensely felt in tins colony, inasmuch as we have not such enormous fields of labour to operate upon as California and Australia, and the ill effects of a large rush of Chinese will be more speedily and kcenlj felt.

9. You r petitioners therefore pray that you will recommend the (.lo\ernor to exercise the prerogative w hk.h give*, the Ciown absolute power over all mines ot gold in the colony, and cause a clause to be inserted in the new (told Fields Act forbidding the issue of miner's rights to the Chinese ; at the same time making such pro\ isions as may seem equitable towards those who hold mining privileges under the present regulations.

1 0. Your petitioners deeply feel the necessity of placing an effectual bar to the fiuther inliux of Chinese, as it is tlieir solemn conviction that unless the most stringent measures are taken, the result will be bloodshed and anarchy, or the total exodus of jour petitioners from this colony. 11. Your petitioned believe that their prayer is based upon principles of justice and equity, and is m stiict accordance with international law, as shown by the recent transactions between the Imperial (-iovemment and the United States of America, in reference to the Canadian fisheries, rcfeired to in the seventh clause of this petition. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.