THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUTARY 22, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3125, 22 February 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUTARY 22, 1879.

The Secretary of the Auckland Trades and Labor Council—Mr Geo. W. Hislop •—forwards us a copy of the Anti-Chinese petition to Parliament, which, he informs us, is being numerously signed in Auckland. The petition is similar in tenour to that adopted by the working men of Wellington, which petition we published a couple of days ago. It prays that a poll tar may be imposed on " all subjects of the Emperor of China coming here as sailora, laborers, or in any other capacity; that the said tax be made payable by the owners and captains of such vessels as shall bring any Chinese into any port of New Zealand, whether as crew or passengers, and that the vessel be held as lien until the tax be paid." Mr flislop writes :—" I think \.he miners and others of the Thames ought to assist in the matter, as perhaps no body of men is so well acquainted with the evils attending Chinese immigration. We are acting in conjunction with Wellington and Dunedin. Should the Thames people decide to assist, either by signing our petition or adopting one of their own, I will be glad on nppplication to give them all assistance in my power." The movement to invoke the Legislature to provide some check to Chinese immigration has our sympathy, and we gave some reasons for the faith that is in us in our review ef the pamphlet issued by Kong Meng and his confreres. The questiou is beset with many difficulties, and the only way to effectually limit the influx of Chinamen seems to be the imposition of a poll tax, recourse to which has been pronounced to be a violation of international treaties. A powerful representation will, however, be made to Parliament next session, and Ministers would do well to prepare themselves to meet the question.