The Empire County argus., 1856-01-19
FOREIGN MINERS.


important matter. That this subject is one of ne
ordinary Importance will be readily seen when ref
erence is made to the receipts from Foreign miners
There was paid into the treasury of
this county from this source in 1858 $l0042 g.
| Receipts OF 1904. 70 649 81
g 1855, to Sept. 29th ....... 57,270 O5
q 1855 Sept. 29th to Dec 81 S,464 0f
Total receipts in county treasury J.. sIO2, ,436 7C
! Paid into State treasury ......... l02,436 7C
Total State and County ...... S204,873 &c
Average monthly receipts for 1854 and 1855 to
Sept. 60 1892 9S. Monthly receipts from lst OF
October to December 3lst, 1855, since the opera
ton of the present law regulating Foreign miners
license, S5,642 co. falling off of monthly receipts
of $2,S49 7S, or loss annually of S2Sl97 So.
E From the foregoing. our citizens cannot fail to
see that the presence of the Chinese among us has
been productive of great benefit. More than one
half the total receipts of the county treasury in
1854 and 1856 was derived from them alone. This
source of revenue has Hquidated the debts of the
county and relieved us from taxation for county
purposes the present year. Have our citizens suf-
fered in any respect from their presence! Not in
class of claims; ground in fact rejected by the mi
ners of all other nations; ground which would not
have been wrought at all but for the Chinese
miners. From this inferior and rejected class of
claims the Chinese have derived the money which
has in the last three years repenshed our treasury
to the tune of Sl02,436 70, and added as much
more in the Golfers Of the State. All branches Of
l1,,e, L.. l. ~.
They are great patrons of steamboats, and stages,
and consumers have contributed largely to the
commercial prosperity of the State. At least ff-
teen millions per annum of our gold product has
been derived from Chinese labor from soil which
but for them would not have yielded dollar.
While we are considering the means of increas-
ing population it is folly to drive from our midst
by oppressive legislation large and so productive
people as the Chinese. More laborers are need
ed, and this class is the only one which will work
for the twentieth time our auriferous soil and ex-
tract the little gold left by us. If we desire to
drive them all out of the country why tax them
GENEROUSLY, rendering them unable to pay their pas
sage out of it9 If they must be driven away do
not first begin by reducing them to pauperism, nor
complain of their thefts after we have robbed them
of their substance. The Chinese are not crvinc
constantly for support in our hospitals, neither are
our jails filed with them; proving conclusively
that they economical and more siuned against
than SHINING. If these celestials are not wanted
here let the capitation tax remain and prevent
them from coming. Now that they are here, as a
measure of policy taxation should be reasonable,
and therefore should be reduced to the old stand
ard. If we desire them to leave the country then
old rates of taxation should be restored in order to
enable them to procure means.
The idea of this State inviting emigration here
as it has ever done, and then turning pirate to
plunder class of emigration, is peculiarly unjust
and in the end will be found unwise. The next
outrage is to deprive this class of redress in our
courts for which they pay so heavily, and thereby
open the door for lazy loafng vagabonds to 90
about plunderng and numbering them Such op-
pressive conduct reduces this class to pauperism
and crime of necessity First be Just toward the
Chinese and then make them obey the laws and
not complain of degradation and crime of our own
creation
In this latitude public opinion is unanimous in
favor of reducing the license of Foreigners and
restoring the old rates. 1t is to be hoped the leg
islature will act in the premises Immediately and
not be forever in undoing what never should have
been DONE and never could have been but for the
last blunderino lepislature