The Shasta courier., 1855-04-21
The Chinese Question.

We regret to be compelled 10 state tnat tue
Legislature after mature deliberatioh, have ar
rived at the conclusion that it is their duty to
refuse to the miners OF California that relieffrom
the presence OF the hordes OF Chiuese for which
they have SO long aud SO earnestly prayed. No
one at all conversant with the feelings of the min
ing portion OF our population, will for a moment
doubt that the petition adopted by the Miners OF
Shasta in Convention assembled, and addressed
to the Legislature, expressed the sentiments OF
the great majority of miners in every portion OF
the State.
When that petition and the accompanying re-
solutions were referred to select committee OF
Senators, the miners every where were inspired
with the hope that their wishes in this matter
were about being attended TO. In consequence
of this they RETAINED from at once expellinS the
Chinese from the mines Vi et armis as was their
intention and determined to give our Legislators
ample time and opportunity 10 rid them of the
evil of which they so long and so Justly com
plained What will be their procedure, where
ever the evil presses most heavily, when they
hear of the action ef the Senate in postponing
hibit all persons Ineligible to citizenship from
working the mines, may readily be inferred
from the already pursued by the miners
Of the county of Marposa. in expelling the Chi
from the mining districts of Hornitas,
Quartsburg and Indian and Bear Creeks.
Most earnestly do we deplore this failure on
the part of our Legislators 10 respond TO the
wishes of the miners relative to this matter, by
the passage OF some just and equitable law, that
would have accomplished the desired end unac-
compauied by any undue hardships towards the
! Chinese. We deplore it for two reasons-6rst.
because such M act would have simply rendered
to the miner that protection which his interests
demand and, secondly, for the reason that nu-
merous violations of the public peace would have
thereby been prevented during the approaching
summer
We fear that the commercial interests of the
State have too great predominance in our leg
islaiive councils for the good OF the people at
large. We fear that the councils OF men like MIR.
Flint, who represents a commercial people, are
permitted to have too much weight with repre-
sentatives from the mountains. We know that
those who take the same view of this question
as does Mr.. Flint, in his Minority Report, look
Upon the commerce of Asia and the Indias as of
far greater Importance to the future of this State
than the gold mines And, indeed we do
not know that we differ with them on this head
But they forget in legislating for the future that
the necessities OF the present are more urgent,
and therefore of paramount importance. Suffi-
cient unto the day is the evil thereof. Neither
perceive the pertinence of the position
that it is necessary to give the Chinese the privi-
lege Of working our mines in order to secure TO
our nation monopoly of the immense trade of
the East. Every man at al! conversant with the
Yankee cuteness of John Chinaman, must know
that the only way by which we can ever hope
TO secure their trade, is to make trading with us
more profitable than with other nations. The
Chinese trade, it is true, is thing of immense
value, but If we cannot have it without The dis
gusting Chinese population as concomitant,
then, for one we say, let US be without it,
We regret that the views of the Select As
sembly) committee-to whom were referred AS
sembly Bills No. 2O6, 2O7 and 20S and of whom
J. E. Clayton was chairman,-dd not prevail.
We append the conclusion of their able report:
The direct question at issue, is between the
American laborer one side, and the Chinese
laborer and capitalist on the other. The Amer
lean laborer claims the erclusiUe pririlege and
right of occupying and working the immense
placers Of our State. They look upon the mines
as being the just inheritance of the la6oring poor
of america and the only class of laborers that
they willing to admit to any participation of
this rich inheritance with them. are those of
kindred lands, whom they can receive as broth
ers
They ask us to protect them from the immense
hordes of Asia, who, like the locusts of Egypt,
leave naught bat desolation in their path.
If this class of foreigners excluded from
the mines, our own laboring classes will for a
long series of years have the advantage of cap
italists.
Our laborers wish to keep up the value of their
toll to fair standard Of competition among them
seices, but you allow capitalists to import Chi
nese labor upon them, and the equilibrium is
destroyed, capital is triumphant. and the labor
ing poor of America must submit to the unholy
sacri6ce.
FtRsT OF MAY BALL-The ladies and gentle
men who read the Courier will be delighted to
learn May Ball" will be given at the Tower
House" on the first of next month. The an-
nouncement of the place at which it is to be
given is alone sufficient to assure every body that
it will be delightful occasion. No tickets win
be issued. Young gentlemen will then see to
it that their lady acquaintance are not neg
lected. For ourself we have already commenced
negotiating with three four of our fair friends
in regard to this thing. AS yet we have not suc-
ceeded in making the rifle, although one of
them "a dear, amiable creature,) has deigned
to intimate ,hat-provided we give bonds TO