The Empire County argus., 1855-03-17
WOODS & FORBES, Publishers.
AGENTS
Colorna: Saturday. March II, 1855.
F0rcign Miners.

been introduced chiefly directed at the heads Of
the Chinese. Several Of them profess no hostility
toward any class of foreigners eligible to citizen
ship--presuming, no doubt, that the Chinese can
never become citizens Of California
If foreigners are to be excluded from the mines
at all, let the sweep be univeral xcludng every
tongue and nation, in the absence OF full and COM
pete papers Of naturalization.
We doubt the policy Of excluding the Chinese
even, as well as other foreigners from the mines
Such procedure will appear like violation OF
good faith The policy of the State and General
Governments hitherto, has been to encourage the
immigration Of people from all countries Ihls
has been done with the implied if not direct prom
Use, of equal privileges. All that should now be
done is to impose an efectual check upon an OBJ
noxious immigration, and not violate good faith
with people already within our borders 1t is well
to remember that to exclude the Chinese from our
mineral lands, will deprive the State of one great
source Of revenue, besides throwing large class
from one locality, where they now earn their llv-
ing, into another portion of the State, where 1t is
almost certain they will be reduced to beggary and
universal crime entailing corrupting influence on
quarter where their presence is now comparative
ly unknown. Nothing can be gained on the score
of public policy, by removing nuisance from one
parallel Of latitude to another. The idea OF ex-
cludng the Chinese from the mines, under penal
ties to be enforced by the sale of their claims and
effects is sheer nonsense. In nnety-nine cases out
of every hundred, their claims and entire collection
of wares would not sell under execution, for a
dime. Being forbidden to work in the mines no
title to their claims would follow sale, and their
goods are notorously of no value whatever except
to themselves. Hence, with provision only Of
this kind, they could and would repeat the offence
daily, of extracting gold, with impunity. Besides,
course of this kind would require ten thousand
sherifs, to look up and punish the celestial offend
ers.
Again--we would like to know why q citizen OF
the State engaged in mining, would not have just
good right to hire foreigners ineligible to citi-
izenship to work for him in the mines, as agri-
culturist has, to employ him in cutivatng vegeta-
bles. We are Of the number who believe the Le-
gislature of this State has power whatever to
make distinction Of the kind and furthermore,
the miners of this State will not permit distnc-
tion of the kind to exist.
In point of revenue derived from foreigners Ell
Dorado county is an example. This county to-day
is out of debt and has in her treasury rcspecta-
BILE amount of cash, in the shape of an available
surplus. Had it not been for the foreign miners
tax collected in this county within the past two
years, we should now have been wofully in debt
with our scrip selling at thirty and forty cents on
the dollar--uness, forsooth, the rate of taxation
had been doubled on our citizens
Within the fifteen months ending Jan. Sd, 1855,
cur county treasury has
Received from foreign miners, .S41 34 81
Receipts in State Treasury from Al 34 81
Officers collecting this revenue have received for
poInno 1nelr services : S2S62 40
Total collections for fifteen months. .$11550O 90
Send the Chinese out Of Ell Dorado and the mines
generally, and our citizens will have $4,000 to
$4,000 per annum to pay out of their own pock-
es instead of deriving it from the labor of China
men, as Besides this four or five tax collect
will be- in the aggregate, out and injured to
the tune of about $4,000 per annum. Meantime,
the State Treasury will be loser in the game, in
the snug Of about Sl50,000 per annum, from
the several mining counties.
About all there is of this matter is, that lot of
political mountebanks Lave got the notion into
their heads, that to drive the Chinese out of the
mines will be an amazingly popular proceeding !;
and in order to prolong their political existence,
they now with great ZEAL try to steal John Bglers
thunder Gov. Bigler long since pointed out the
evils likely to arise from large and increasing
body Of Chinese in our midst, and earnestly be-
sought the Legislature to take action on the sub
ject. No heed was paid to his warning The
press heaped ridicue on the Governor. Now the
tune is changed. The question having become in
tricate, and one of great Importance disposition
is manifested to oppress, degrade and abuse the
children of the Flowery Kingdom, instead of ame-
horatng and elevating their condition in the scale
OF humanity. Let the immigration of Chinadom
to this State be absolutely prohibited. This can
be done, provided law can be enforced in the city
OF San Francisco-which by the way, is exceeding
ly doubtful. The large population of Asiatics we
have, can not be driven about the State Public
opinion will revolt at the proceeding The Chinese
are now scattered all over the State and in this
condition they can live among us Concentrate
them in the agricultural counties and no white
family can or will live among them
Wells, Fargo Co. have this week furnished us
with Atlantic and California files of newspapers.
and have thanks for the delivery of letters and
packages.