The Placer herald., 1860-02-25
Increased Foreign Miners Tax.

venting the Chinese from mining They
seem to have persuaded themselves into the
belief that the Chinamen are draining the
country of its wealth, and occupying va!u
able ground to the exclusion and injury Of
industrious white miners. And acting upon
feeling and belief something akin TO this,
the Committee on Shines and Mining Into
rests, in the Assembly, have reported bill
having for its object the prohibition Of min
ing by Chinaman. ..l.,rr .s.
The Committee, in their report say:
"Our Supreme Court says that we cannot pre-
vent Chinese or Mongolan immigration by posi-
tive enactment. Under decision of the same
Court we have the right as q police regulation
to impose tax upon these Asiatc coolies in lieu
Of the protection they receive and the liberty
they have to work in the mines. The substitute
bill increases this tax by gradual scale, until it
shall reach the rate of 500 per month. declares
it misdemeanor for Chinaman or Mongolian
to work in the mines without q license receipt
for the current month, and provides that the ne
imposed, if not paid, shall be worked out at 50
per day upon the public highways These pro-
visions OF the bill are in the nature of o police
regulation. and therefore ore not rcpugnant to the
Constitution"
4 wise policy will either make the Cinnamon
a source of five times the revenue derived
from them, or drive the pestilence with which we
are bcset from the State ..
We may well doubt whether this "wise
policy" will increase the revenue ''fve times"
over what it IS now. 1t must be within the
recollection Of many, that few years ago
some such idea prevailed in the Legislature,
and in Difference to clamor for heavy taxa
ton upon the Chinese, the law makers in
creased the tax. This was to add largely to
the revenue, and be the means of gradually
getting rid of such miners. What was the
effect? Simply that the tax was evaded and
resisted as much as possible-the duties Of
Tax Collector became exceedingly onerous,
large falling off took place in the revenue,
and by the meeting of another Legislature,
there arose an almost universal demand that
the tax should be reduced and reduced it
was, quite speedily, to its former standard, at
which it has remained to this day.
The Committee consider the Chinese an
undesirable population. The proposition is
come at: but "the Supreme Court says we
correct prevent their immigration by positive
enactment" The Committee, howerer,
would avoid this by gradual scale of taxa
ton which would finally reach $50 per
month license for Chinese miners; thus bring
ing about certain check upon their immi-
grafton. .stif- 7.r
A law of the kind would doubtless 90 far
toward carrying ont the intention Of the
Committee; but they overlook the fact that
ruinous loss would follow to the revenues
Of the State and Mining Counties, that could
only be made up from the already over tax
ed owners Of real estate. And we think
this is point worth considering ..f
The assertion is an idle one that the Chi
nese are draining California of its wealth;
for it is true of them that they meet with no
greater proportion of success than white
miners; and are generally content to work
claims white men will not touch, or buy
claims that white men no longer consider
profitable And it is no doubt true, that the
majority of claims now worked Ivy China
men, have been purchased by them from
whites. eem a. Usft
For the amount Of their worldly posses
sions, they are more heavily taxed than any
other portion Of the population of California
In addition to their License tax, they pay
Road and Poll taxes, far better in proper
ton to their number, than the whites many
of whom utterly refuse. or neglect to pay
these taxes, although the only amounts they
are called upon to pay for the support of
Government. OF that portion of the Chi
nese who do business in the towns, but few
own buildings; as they prefer to rent from
whites, (who then, in "A measure, are their
protectors), and at rates that are truly enor-
nous. Buildings are frequently erected and
rented to them, that pay the propretors
from three to ten per cent. per month upon
the investment. H SOD 1raol a.il Ul ueI
1t is not correct that Chinese conine their
dealings to their own countrymen. They
deal largely with white merchants; and fully
half if not more, that they consume, is of
American manufacture or production.
Those who are most familiar with their
habits, say they are good livers; and that it
is true of great many of them that they
live up to their means. laa D
We can set up no defense for the Chinese