The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-02 00:00:00

A 1:-`, SPAPEit
•
• r
ce bearing 8 per cent. of& _
p s will be greatly beoefite 7,77
•
will rise to £l2O, and perhaps -X 25
- •
party here who are opposed to the Tkati. /
some the decision of the London shareb.o4,..ciers s
determine the matter.
The legislation of this colony respecting the
Chinese population may possibly lead to a difficulty
between this Government and the Imperial Govern..
ment on international grounds growing out of the
Chinese treaty. Of that treaty no authentic copy
has been as yet officially communicated to this Go-
vernment. It appears to have been constructed
without reference to the position of this country in
relation to China, and especially without any con-
sideration as to the manner in which we are exposed
to the influx of considerable numbers of the Chinese
race bearing a large and inconvenient proportion to
+l' Euronep- ^-^nlation of the country. We have
...,000 Chinese in Victoria, wholly
males. This is one-twelfth of our whole population
and but for 'the checks which our legislation has
imposed upon the immigration of Chinese the num-
ber would have been greater. At one period the
numbers continually pouring into our ports
threatened at no distant day to convert this into a
settlement of Chinese rather than of European,.
This very naturally created alarm, and it was really
in obedience to popular opinion that the first Act
was passed in 1855, having for its undisguised ob-
ject to limit the influx of the Chinese. This Act
provided that the master of any ship arriving with
any Chinesevn board where the proportion of per-
sons on board, including the crew, exceeded one to
every 10 tons should be liable to a penalty of £lO
for every passenger in excess of that proportion. A.
rate of £lO each was also levied on all Chinese pas-
sengers brought by ships. The Chinese were also
rendered liable to an annual payment of 20s. each.
The penalty for the non-payment of this last sum
was £5, or two months' imprisonment. In Nov.,
1857, another Act was passed, 21st of Victoria, No.
41 (without repealing the former Act), requiring
the Chinese to take out a residence licence to be
renewed every second month an payment of £1
for such licence and for every renewal. The
Chinese were required to produce a receipt
for the " head money" paid on their arrival by the
captain, and if they could not produce such receipt
they were required. to pay the £lO in addition to
the licence fee. The object of this was to check the
influx of Chinese from Adelaide and Sydney by way
of the. Murray river. If they could not produce the
receikt, or did not pay the £lO, the licenoe was
rcfasea.' But this second et* contained --no penalty
and no direct mode of recovering either the £lO or
the accumulated licence fees. The expedients for
inducing rather than enforcing the payment- was a
species of outlawry clause by which a Chinaman
who is without licence cannot sue in any court.
This is the method adopted as to the " miner's right"
(or licence to mine for gold), and it succeeds pretty
well as to European miners, because from their re-
lation with their fellow miners and others on the gold
fields they frequently want to sue, and have a sort
of instinctive alarm of anything approaching to a
privation of an important right. But the Chinese
are not much under that necessity, and the act has
been in a great degree a failure. The present
Government have brought in a bill repealing the
existing acts, and simplifying the mod.es of pay-
ment, and also reducing the imposition more within
the means of the Chinese. The "head money" on
entering our ports is retained, and also the propor-
tion of passenger,sto tonnage. But the £1 residence
fee of the first act, and the £6 annual licence fees
of the second act, as well as the £1 for " miner's
right," under the Goldfields' Act (which the
Chinaman must now pay like all others), are
commuted for a payment of £4 per annum,
which may be paid by instalments (two or four
to be fixed in committee). The principle of
this bill is similar to that of the existing
acts, but its operation is more favourable to the
Chinese, and I apprehend it will turn out
more productive of revenue. I think there is
very little doubt of the passing of this act,
and as the treaty has not been communi-
cated the Legislature will not have to consider its
effects in relation to the favoured nation's clause,
as it is commonly called, of that treaty. It is to
be hoped, also, that her Majesty will not be ad-
vised to disallow it, for such disallowance would
set up the present Acts, which are really oppres-
sive on the Chinese people. I say that these Acts
will be set up, because the treaty will not operate
to repeal Acts already in existence, and the Impe-
rial Parliament having clothed these colonies with
full power to legislate respecting our internal con-
cerns has abdicated its own function of legislating
for us. The necessity of a check is very great.
Moreover, exceptional legislation is requisite for
an exceptional people. They cost this Government
a considerable sum for protection. The protective
organisation alone costs about £17,000 a year.
This extra expense the Chinese ought to pay. On
this principle we tax our mining population spe-
cially and exceptionally, because the cost of
governing the goldfields is greater than that of
governing other classes. When practical, we make
use of intelligent Chinese to fill some offices among
them. This legislation is no doubt similar itt prin-
ciple to our laws for preventing the influx of
criminals. It is open to the same technical and
theoretic objections, but is at the same time justi-
fiable by the same necessity. Our distance from
China is not very great, our goldfields are attractive
to them, and if unchecked by legislation we should
be overwhelmed by this peculiar people. If they
had brought a reasonable proportion of women,
and settled into a domestic state, I doubt whether
there would have grown up against them so strong
a prejudice, but even with women the existence
in the midst of a superior race of an inferior race
is a very great evil, especially where many of their
habits are repugnant to the feelings of Europeans.
In concluding this subject, I think it necessary
to state my conviction that this colony will insist
on its right to institute and continue some sort of
exceptional legislation in order to protect our
population from any overpowering influx of the
Chinese race, as it has already successfully done in
the Influx of Criminals Bill, the late discussion
upon which I described in a former letter.

VICTO1?1,1.

(From the Times' Correspondent.)
MELBOURNE, FEB. 4.
The Oneida did not arrive until the 10th of
January, and required overhauling, consequently
she has been delayed until this day. The Salsette
had previously arrived. As the Oneida has to
back the London February mail there is every pro-
bability that the February and March mails will be
forwarded and arrive together in May. I hope this
will be the last of the irregularities.
The proposal of the Government to purchase the
Geelong line of railway has been adopted by the
house. The Chief Secretary's and Attorney-Gene-
ral's speeches have been printed, and will be sent to
England by this mail. It is to be hoped they will
put an end to the shabby attempts to depreciate the
credit of this colony in order to coerce the Govern-
ment into unreasonable terms of purchase.
The prospects as to the production of gold are
improving. The quantity received by escort in the
four weeks of January amounts to 176,610 ounces,
against 157,605 for the.same period last year. Gold
of a superior quality has been discovered in the
Dandarory ranges, about 35 miles from Melbourne.
The specimens that I have seen are of a bright yellow
colour, apparently very pure. These ranges extend
in an easterly direction across the country to the
east coast. The valleys adjacent are of rich soil,
and the effect will be to open an immense district
of country to settlements.
The excess of immigration over emigration last
year has only increased our population by 18,082.
The imports of 1858 nearly balance the exports,
indicating a sound state of trade.

liiiports
Exports

Balance
The production and export of gold exhibit a de-
ficiency compared with the last two years. I take
the following_ figures from W, Clarke and -Sons'
circular:—
_

Received by Escort. Exported.
1855 2,132,398 oz. . . 2,576,745 oz.
1856 2,625,968
1857 2,481,020
1858 2,336,663
The quantity of gold shipped since the first dis-
covery is, according to the official returns, 17,579,886
ounces, the value of which is about £70,000,000 ;
but this is within the true quantity, inasmuch as
before the imposition of an export duty a great deal
was shipped privately or carried away by passen-
gers without passing entry at the Custom-house. It
is anticipated that the recent issue of mining leases,
and the operation of an act to sanction mining on
private property where the owners and miners
agree, will tend to restore the quantity. Hencefor-
ward mining enterprise must be conducted by the
combined efforts of miners and capitalists, for there
is only room for a very moderate extent of sur-
face-digging. The new mining leases provide
for the working of partially worked alluvial lands,
i. e., such as the pick and shovel miners have aban-
doned.
If we were to judge of the condition of the people
by the quantity of gold alone, then it would appear
that it is on the decline, as 500,000 people are shar-
ing a smaller whole than 300,000 people did four
years ago ; but production for home use has been
greatly increasing. Estimated at the moderate
prices of the present year, we have produced more
than £3,000,000 worth of farm produce. The colony
also now manufactures a vast number of articles
for consumption which a few years ago were pur-
chased with our gold, e. g., sawn timber and other
building materials, carts and carriages, furniture,
soap, candles, beer, and many other articles. My
own impression is that the condition of the colony
is better than it was in 1855 and 1856, but of course
this going on diminishes the foreign (external)
trade of the country. Thus, when the produce of
gold was at its maximum proportion to population,
we imported not only nearly all the flour we con-
sumed, but also our hay, oats, potatoes, and other
produce, paying for them £4,000,000 or £5,000,000
more than they now cost. There was then, no
doubt, a large trade, but there was an enormous
waste. Gradually our imports have been accom-
modatdd to our diminished exports, and the trade is
much better balanced. A very large trade is very
deceptive as an indication of the most prosperous
condition. The merchant seldom regards trade as
an admirable expedient to cure a defect in the re-
sources of countries. If England could produce
the commodities of every country in the world at
the lowest price there would be no need of foreign
trade. It is only because she cannot produce the
' sugar of the tropics and the furs of the Polar regions
that she is compelled to trade for them. I. believe
part of the falling off in the quantity of gold is to
be attributed to the number of persons who have
taken to other pursuits, and I am far from consider-
ing this an evil. In 1856 the cultivators of land
increased 125 per cent. ; in 1857 they increased 282
per cent., and last year the increase was very con-
siderable. I believe this change will go on, and
that the number of men working on the goldfields
will be greatly reduced without any decrease
of production, for in May last there were in the
several diggings, 6,367 machines of various kinds,
worked by steam, horses, and men.
On Thursday, the 13th January, the railway from
Melbourne to Williamstown, and the first section of
the Melbourne and Murray River Railway, were
opened by a grand ceremonial, and, after the man-
ner of our countrymen, by a feast. The day was
of that brilliant and genial nature not often to be
met with in any other climate. In the early part
of the week we had some very cold weather, with
storms of wind and rain. The temperature about
Tuesday began to increase, and by Thursday the
weather had just attained that degree of warmth,
with a coolin., breeze and a cloudless sky, most con-
genial to the human constitution. Messrs. Cornish
and Bruce, the contractors, had invited the Gover-
nor, the Ministry, the members of both Houses of
Parliament, with their respective families, and
others, numbering about 1,500 persons, to a dejeuner
at Sunbury, distant rather over 23 miles from Mel-
bo irne. The first section ends at a great coaching
house called the Digger's Rest, on Keilor plain. 21
miles from Melbourne, and is completed for all pur-
poses. The extension to Sunbury was open for the
occasion, the carriages passing successfully and
safely over it, but it will not be open for traffic until
the first week of February. I may remind you that
the financial arrangements for this undertaking
were not brought to a conclusion until the 4th o
June, the contract for the work was signed on the
7th of June, and the work was commenced in the
last week of! June. Thus, the portion of the line
now completed has occupied in its construction
only six months and a half, a degree of speed
unexampled, I believe, either in England or
America. Nothing can be more perfect than the
execution of both these lines, and all who are com-
petent to form an opinion rejoice that the cheap
and loose system of America was not adopted here.
The first outlay is no doubt greater, but the safety
and stability of the work will undoubtedly prove,
as many predicted, " cheaper" in the end.
The arrangements were all well made, and
not a single accident marred the enjoyment
of the day. The dejeuner was spread in a temporary
building erected for the purpose, which was very
tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens and
flowers. I never saw a similar banquet where there
was so ample a supply of eatables, such excellent
wines, so much elbowroom, and such excellent
attendance. The "40 cooks and 100 waiters" men-
tioned by the newspapers did their work well. It
was easy to get a change of plates, a knife and fork,
a piece of bread, and a glass of iced water—things
rarely attainable on similar occasions. Most wise
people dine quietly before going to such banquets.
Here it was quite unnecessary, and would have
been impossible, as we started at 10 a.m. Between
the hour of arrival and the dejeuner the Governor
and party walked on about a mile,where he laid the
first stone of a grand viaduct to cross Jackson's
Creek—a deep ravine over which section No. 2.
passes. There is so much cutting and embankment
that this next section cannot be finished for two
years. But other and easier portions will be com-
pleted and opened, as was done of old on the Bir-
mingham Railway. Further on there will be some
deep cutting, in order to get through the dividing
range of which Mount Macedon forms a part. These
heavy earthworks and masonry works will retard
the completion of some sections until the end of
1861. I understand that the Ballarat line is going

.WETROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The weekly meeting of the Metropolitan Board
of Works was held yesterday in Guildhall—Mr. J.
Thwaites in the chair.

The financial statement showed the following
results :—General account, £27,978 Bs. ; Covent-
garden approach, £199,332 6s. 9d. ; Southwark
and Westminster communication, £22,545, 13s. ;
Victoria-park approach £42,502 lls. 10d ; Finsbury-
part, £3 16s. 11d. Total, £292,319 16s. 6d.

on rapidly, though it was not begun matil more
than two months after the Northern line. The Wil-

liamstown Railway connects Geelong with Mel-
bourne, and will cause the Geelong line to pay
better than it has hitherto done. The Ballarat line
will be completed in 18 months. The proposal of
the Government to purchase the Geelong Railway
has been somewhat modified since Mr. O'Shaunessyrs
resolutions were first placed on the motion paper.
The plan has been simplified by securing to the
Government the option of paying off the share-
holders and the liabilities in cash or debentures at
the market price in London. The necessary funds
will be spared out of the railway loan already
authorised. The Government will assume the
liability of the company to the bondholders, who
are entitled to 7 per cent., except one small