Daily national Democrat., 1859-04-17
9ailg Natloual 9emutrat.
exclusion of Chinese from the Mines.

po.tponement of the bill. Mr. Crenshaw,
the Chairman, however disagreed with the
majority and submitted the following minor
ity reports
The undersigned, member Of the Com.
mittee on Mines and Mining Interests, in con.
sidering Assembly bill No. lis, an Act to
prohibit Chinese or Mongoliln from work.
ing the gold mines in this State dissents
from the opinion of a majority of the Com
mittee, and recommends the passage of the
bill.
The gold mines of California were acquired
by the common blood and treasure Of the
people of the United States, and should be
reserved as heritage for themselves and
their children. Such has been the uniform
policy of every country, with reference to
their mines of precious metals. They have
been held by the sovereign power of the
State, for the benefit of its citizens. Though
the State has departed from this policy in
permitting foreigners of the European races
to work her gold mines, the reasons for such
apolicy do not hold good as applied to per-
sous OF the Chinese or Mongolinn races, be-
cause OF the immense numbers of those races
who already occupy the mines, and the still
more alarming numbers that (now that all
barriers are thrown down against their en-
bhEeubeu 10 swarm In uDOn us
They have no design or desire to assmulate
themselves to our laws, customs and insttu-
tions, and become permanent residents and,
like Europeans become valuable acquisitions
to the population of the State but they still
retain ull the barOarous and disg glsting hab-
its of their own country. and remain banded
together as u distinct people. protecting each
other i'll crime, and by means of their Gun
ming and deceit, and combined efforts, effect.
ually screening themselves from the penalties
Of violated law. They co:Le to this State,
not for the purpose of making it their future
home, and adding to the permanent stock of
the labor and capital Of the State, but for the
sole purpose of taking gold from our mines
and carrying it away to their own native
country, for their own benefit, and the i'm
pOverishment of our mines. They can never
attain to citizens Zip or become blended with
American nationality, but must ever remain
a distinct people, and WILL in accordance
with the teachings of all past time, as the in
feriOr race, become the slaves of the superior;
and their existence here in such hordes is IA
subject that eXcites the most anxious sOlici-
tude and fearful apprehen>ions for the future
peace and welfare of the State-a policy
that in time may be found as pregnant with
evil as the introduction of the African race
into the American Union. The great body
OF the Chinese population who inhabit the
mines are slaves to the wealthy mandarins of
their own country, and to permit them to
work the mines is to foster in our own midst
and sustain by law, system of slavery, not
for the benefit of Americans, but for the sole
benefit of Chinese capitalists. If this policy
is to be pursued. it would be far better to ia.
itiate a general system of Chinese slavery that
would inure equally to the benefit Of Ameri-
can capitalists.
The direct question at issue is between the
American laborer on one side, and the Chi
nese labor and capitalists on the other "Our
laborers wish to keep up the value of their
toll at fair standard Of compensation among
themselves, but you allow IA capitalist to i'm
port Chinese labor upon them, and the equil-
ibrium is destroyed-capital is triumphant,
and the laboring poor of America must sub
init to the unholy sacrifice"
The key to the whole question of Chinese
immigration is the gold mines. They come
here to dig our mines. Shut down the door
of prohibition on them, as provided in this
bill, aud no more will come here and, grad
ually, these who are here will leave.
The revenue derived from them for the
support of government, is much smaller than
is supposed. They are addicted to theft and
other crimes; their testimony is worth moth
ing in court of Justice, and the anomalous
position they hold makes criminal prosecu-
tions ageinst them exceedingly expensive
SO much SO, that in many of the mining coun.
ties they entail on the county government
more expense than the amount of tax re
ceyed from them. They crowd our county
jails and in an undue proportion our State
Prison. TIE contlagrations occasioned by
their residence in the mining towns has an
nually swept away property far exceeding in
aItt.a LII.
the moral contamination resulting from their
residence in those towns, cannot be estima-
ted in dollars and cents. They are digging
out, covering up and destroying the best pa-
Ger mines in the country so that while they
put in the pocket of the State a trling
amount of gold as revenue, they put their
hands in the other pocket aud rob it of mill
Ions, transported to another country, to en-
rich their masters who sent them here.
When the American people are unable to
sustain the expense of government, without
calling in and keeping among them an Oh
noxions population, for the sole purpose of
obtaining from them a tax to support the
government, then that government is an en-.
glne OF oppression. In the language of a
committee appointed by the Legislature of
California In 1855, to consider this same sub
ject:
"HSu huleTlchn cltlZenS become unaUle
and incapable Of supporting and upholding
tne government and laws of their own ma
king, then it will he time for us, and not till
then, to import Chinese Malays and ne
groes to do that for us which we have not
tne virtue and patriotism to do for our
selses"
The right of the Legislature to exclude
Chnese from the mines will hardly he called
In question, as the principle conteuded for is
established by numerous judicial decisions,
and forms an essential element of State SOW
ereignty. Upon this question the Supreme
Court is clear and explicit In the case of
The City of New York v. S. Min. I'll Peters
1881 the Court holds the following language
" State has the same undenable right
and unlimited jurisdiction over all persons
ana things within its territorial limits as any
Ioreign nation, When that Jurisdiction is not
surrendered or restrained by the Consttu-
uon OF the United States"
az tnose powers which relate to merely
hun'c'Pa! legislation. or which may mole
P'pP"iIy oe called internal police, are not
s"'re,ueFen or restrained; and consequently
IN IN Feiatloh TO these, the authority of the
sive" "Hu oo"ciu
" 1t is not only right. but the bounden and
solemn duty of a State, to advance the sofatv
happiness and prosperity ofits people and ~
provide for its general welfare, bv anv and
every act of Legislation which it NAV de.r
TO be conducive to these ends"
The right to grant the privilege, or re.
strain from the gold mines. dependent upon
the payment of monthly tax, as under the
present la Assumes tho rif,It o., rr.,L;I;. A