H.—No. sa,

sakcs that so many of them are gamblers; it is more to be regretted that so many Europeans are drunkards. As to thieving, I do riot think it has yet been shown that the Chinese are more addicted to larceny than other colonists—certainly the criminal statistics of Victoria do not bear out the assertion ; and most of the cases which have been proved against them have been of the most trifling description, such as fowls, washdirt, &c. ; and I knew of several instances in A rictoria where Chinamen were at first suspected of robberies for which Europeans were afterwards convicted and punished. They certainly do not bring their wives with them, but not one per cent, of the European miners do so either. The last and most serious charge under this head, is the decoying of young females. Now, if a robbery occurs, it may possibly be difficult to trace it home, but no such difficulty stands in the way when such an offence as that alluded to is committed. If the Chinese are addicted to the practice, how is it none of them have been charged with it and convicted. The thing would be easy of proof; but I believe this charge to bo utterly without foundation. On this count, also, I may use the tu ijuoque argument. How many miners are at this moment living with other men's wives, or in a state of concubinage ? Truly the statistics of one or two districts that I know of would astonish the antiChinese moralists. Some half-dozen cases of European females cohabiting or intermarrying with Chinese miners have come under my notice, and in each of these cases the females had no character to lose. I never knew of any instance of a respectable girl being decoyed by a Chinaman, and must believe such cases to be very rare—as, in such an event occurring, the outcry that would be raised against the obnoxious race would be so great that it would resound throughout the Colony. AVhere are the parents of all these girls that have been decoyed ? What are the police doing, if such crimes are being committed among us ? I now come to the last class of arguments —those founded on grounds of social and political economy. I believe that these are they which weigh most with the mining community : — 1. They are uncivilized barbarians, and are dirty in their habits. 2. They cannot speak our language, nor understand our laws and customs. 3. They do not settle in the country, but take back to China the gold they obtain, and therefore do no good to the Colony. 4. That if allowed, they will come in such numbers as to overwhelm tho European population ; they will become more bold and arrogant in their demeanour, and will endanger, i. if not the safety, at least the peace and quiet of tho European population, by causing intestine commotion and perhaps bloodshed. 5. They can live on less than Europeans, and therefore cau injuriously compete with them in the matter of wages. 6. They work ground which will not pay Europeans to work at present, but which in a few years, when living is cheaper, may support an European population ; and if great numbers are admitted, they will quickly exhaust the payable gold fields, and throw European miners out of profitable employment. 1. Are they really the uncivilized barbarians they are supposed to bo, or is this merely a claptrap phrase which means little or nothing, and is only used to fill the sheet of charges against them ? Impartial writers agreo in describing the Chinese as a highly civilized nation, and their Government as quite a miracle of orderliness. The Imperial sway is autocratic and absolute, but not despolic. I quote from Maunder (an admitted authority) ; alluding to the power of the Emperor, he says : — " Public opinion is always ready to check any excess on the part of the Emperor, who would not, without exciting general indignation, dare to violate the rights of any of his subjects." The next power in the State is the literary aristocracy, or corporation of men of letters, which dates its origin as far back as 1100 years before the Christian era. "The Emperor can only choose his civil agents among tho lettered class." "It may be said that the administration receives all its real and direct influence from this sort of literary oligarchy." Every Chinese may present himself for examination for the third literary degree ;if successful, he may become a candidate for the second degree; if again successful, he is then eligible for official employment; to fill higher offices, he must next compete for a first-class degree. The corporation of lettered men are almost the only nobility recognized in China, and constitute the chief nerve and strength of the Empire. Municipal or communal organization is perhaps nowhere else so perfect as in China. The Mayors are all chosen by the people. Their commercial relations are sound—bank notes payable to bearer circulating throughout the Empire. Is this the organization of barbarians ? Is tho want of civilization apparent in their mode of Government? Are there ten Chinese in this Colony who cannot read and write their own language? As regards their alleged want of cleanliness, there may be some truth in it, but it is open to dispute whether they are on this point lower than similar classes of society in other nations. It must be remembered they come from a densely-crowded population, and are for the most part selected from the poorer classes. Take the same class from London, Liverpool, or Glasgow, and the " heathen Chinee " will compare favourably with the squalor and filth which all residents in great cities must be familiar with. The habit of living in large numbers under one roof is among them, as with the poorer classes of Europeans, the cause of much of the want of cleanliness, &c.; but it is remarkable how soon after landing in the Colonies they break themselves of tho habit. I have seen from sixteen to thirty new arrivals living for twelve months in one hut, and by the end of that time there would spring up five or six huts to accommodate the same number. If they cannot speak our language, a far greater proportion of them can read and write their own than can be said of other colonists; and they show a remarkable aptitude for picking up such words and phrases of English as they find it useful to acquire. There are a large number of Anglo-Chinese books circulating among them, containing thousands of words and sentences in Euglish and their equivalents in Chinese. Their language is spoken by one-third of the human race; it is therefore tho nearest approach to an universal language. None other is spoken by one-tenth so many people. And shall it thus bo laid against them as an objection that they do not speak our language—the English language ; it must be the best because it is ours ! Why, all who can speak the English language do not exceed the population of

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AD INTERIM REPORT (No. II.) OF THE