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THE CHINESE QUESTION.
Whilst many candidates f»r Parlia
mentary honors ars seeking their suffrages
from electors in these colonies by a reckless
and indiscrimate denouncement of Chinese
immigration, even anartfroui the injustice
Contributed from Sydney.
of slandering, wholesale, an intelligent,
sober, and industrious race ; men of
rational minds lookiug at things from an
impartial stand-point, discover in their
conclusions a sad want of forethought, if
not a total disregard to the true principles
of political economy which ought to
actuate their proceedings.
The cel?brated Adam Smith's essay
the theory of free trade principles,
suiting conclusively in the natioi
greatness and wealth of trading" co
munities, if applied to all exchaugea!
commodities, whether labor, merchandi
or otherwise, is a masterpiece that v
outlive the writer for ages yet to come,
a beacon that deserves the special atti
tion of all countries aiming at comfort
prosperity. Consequently, if our coloni
will only patiently look at the Chini
question so based upon similar free tra
principles, which cannot be fairly refut
by demonstrative argument, the Cliii
man would be treated' in the same light
other pioneers to civilisation. Those w
erroneously ignore such vital princip
which bind a nation together, only' do
at the expense of robbing themselves,
holster up a fictitious whim or artifi-
delusion.
Men of unbiassed minds look
Chinese rights in these colonies froii
higher s .-use than the diunour of py
prejudice or veto of a trade union, beca-'j-
morally speaking, there are certain ed
rights of existence to all men alike, >-J
viding each individual fulfil bis destd-l
sphere with honesty of purpose, wititf
encroaching upon the liberties ofis
fellow creatures. Apart from a
physical aspect of the case, let us tak-te
theological precept that " God hath de
of one blood all nations of nien frto
dwell upon the face of the earth." >es
the Bible, a book supposed by all (is-
tian nations to be the standard of !fch
and guidance, say that a Chinam -;l
German, or an alien, shall not li in
Australia? No. We are all God's'il-
druu alike, drawing breath from the"je
source at the fountain head of all t'gs,
and so long as there are millions11
millions of acres of unexplored landpu
this great fifth contiuent, there is'dm
for all to till the soil or work the ues.
to make tho earth yield forth hefb3'-
sures, under tho glorious rays cthe
beaming sun. From the. geogr.dcal
position of Australia in relation to
surely the Chinese have as mucli'ght
here, as Englishmen, whilst from phy
sical point of view, they are well apted
by constitution to the more tpipal
latitudes. The Chinese are irisy
slandered by would-be statesmen who
glory in denounc:ng them to solicitor
from Chinese electors.
The Chinese true character ^sys
tematically disguised to pamper -of in
ordinate' cravings of those wl j""1
together as Trade Unionists, i'fthe
purpose of demanding more wa3:Isvnd
less hours, irrespective of the cs of
capita, or universal principles ufl such
questions. J?
In South Australia there ar
paratively speaking, but few Cl1!?renj
consequently vegetables, furnite>'| and
other commodities to which tyif"'ve
special attention, are excessive" ar ;
and house-rent almost unbearab. owing
to the high wages and short-hoi system
of our own countrymen. f
Now, according to the ar_'asj of
Adam Smith, one of the greates?'ticHi
economists that ever lived the cc3-9S3olla
are, that if Chinese labour niB d0"
preciate the productive costiy par
ticular article of commerce never
theless, increases the purcha;'4up !of
the reduction-/; ro rata, rug in _a
general benefit to the canity at
Farge, or, in other wards, tophfy the
matter; if Chinese labour gs down
the price of furniture, for ire, r to one-
half its previous cost of pribH, even_
if at the expense of reduciy -'wages of
English cabinetmakers, ' -reduced
wages are worth double purchasing
medium, should they choJ make any
purchase of such articled not only
does the cabinetmaker jase twice as
much with the same mcbut all per
sons in the communitip : a similar
benefit. The same prie'can be ap
plied to boots, vegetator any other
merchantable commodin which a
Chinaman may engage ie result being
the same, as cheap prtion increases
the purchasing value obey in circula
tion, and ultimately teio happiness or
prosperity on the wholven apart from
neutralising the eviliences brought
about by the capitalis'eatest enemy —
"Trade Unions."
The hazards of : institutions to
capitalists are most 'easing, in some
cases leading to the julation of whole
districts, or extinctit some branches
of trade altogether®1 the fact that
Trade Unions haiictated such un
reasonable terms capitalists were
utterly ruined, ivritive of reasonable
conclusions that ha> be weighed care
fully in connectioih facts that could
not otherwise be oime. The Austra
lians have much n to fear from Trade
Unions than ChiiQj : the one being a
real evil, wherea0. , other is merely a
misrepresented < -.The coal trade of
Newcastle suffeifeftHy from such a
cause, and it is time that free trade
principles shoulibroughfc to bear upon
the Chinese itfation question, with
out reference pver to any particnlai
class or intern J
Universal anpartial progress is wnat
our politiciani>uld ever aim at, and
then such m(3,a bulwark to society
generally, atfqrVny of the highest
sphere in ourlf The country, under
such circumsisjl would become a tower
of strength ; able to hold her own in
case of Eiu% difficulty, foreign in
vasion, or (,. civil commotion. The
time is far premature to anticipate
any politioalplication with the Chinese
Empire, tlwre so as the Chinese
people are ter a warlike nor a mari
time natioi!;)
The imm-populaticn of China would
lead any pM.to suppose that although
they live ian arbitrary despotic Go
vernment inand, there must be some
excellent i-underlying their fiscal ad-
ministrati>olicy to result in the wise
and succ'l; government of so many
cities antfijs, without civil conimotion
of any kiibr history records that during
a term oi> thousand years, the Empire
of China At peace with the rest of the
world aisrsslf, not even having become
involveAsingle instance of civil war
fare dui?P long an interval.
The orical written records of the
ChinesMPire are full of the most in
tense jest, dating as far back as 2000
years V®' Christ. But one of the most
unexpl features, upon the perusal of
the hs.t moral influences and social
princi connection with State Go-
vernu-.;! For instance, tbe following
are the maxims of the Chinese
admi-'ative policy : — 1. " The universal
accede of the principle that the nation
must Igoverned by moral agency, in
prefce to physical force." 2. "The
no piniversal conviction that the ser
vice the wisest and ablest men in the
natare essential to its good govern-
me'|and, 3. "The system of civil
Ser examinations by which this result
ia/ed at."
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