The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-01
Chinese Immigration.

We are often told by the Gazette, and by some
who represent the plantation interest, that our
views on the eoolie or labor question of these
islands are not sound, in fact that they are
Utopian. After reading the late papers we are
willing to bear the &c quips and quirks" of the
Gazette writers and others who believe in COM
pulsory labor, for we find ourselves in very res
pectable company.
John Stuart Mill, the able English writer, has
written a letter to the editor of the Oakland
Transcript, a copy of which we hope to be in
receipt of, in which he speaks of coolie labor in
terms of plain denunciation. One extract from
his letter, which We find copied by another Cali
fornia paper, says: "One kind of restrictive
measure seems to me not only desirable, but
absolutely calls for the most stringent laws
against introducing Chinese immigrants as coolies,
i. e., under contracts binding them to the service
of particular persons All such obligations are
a form of compulsory labor, that is, of slavery"
What would Mr.. Mill say to our contract
system, when it is known that the laborer is, by
the term of the contract, bound to labor for A. b.
- his executors, administrators and assigns -
which permits the sale at public auction, of the
contract, and the laborer bound by it? What
again, if he were aware of the fact, that by a
penal enactment the laborer is bound to his mas
ter, be the service never SO disagreeable. and upon
refusal to labor, that he can be incarcerated and
forced to labor in the chain gang, upon the public
works, side and side with the worst criminals
until he submits? Governor Haight, in his
message to the Senate and Assembly of Califor-
MIA, says of immigration:
The importance of facilitating immigration from
the Eastern States and Europe is felt by all who are
interested in our material development. = y
We need population-not of races inferior in natural
traits, pagan in religion, ignorant of free institu-
tons, and incapable of sharing in them without
putting the very existence of those institutions in
peril-but we need immigrants of kindred races,
who will constitute a c%Ongenial element and locate
themselves and their families permanently upon the
soil ; who can be admitted to an equal share in our
political privileges, and respond to all the obligations
imposed upon citizens under a republican Govern
ment.
The people of the State have so often and so en-
phatically expressed their hostility to the importation
of Chinese laborers that their representatives will
doubtless leave no legitimate means untried to exc
cute the popular VIII in this respect. 1t is of vital
Importance. also, that the infamous business of i'm
porting Chinese females by the hundreds, for the
vilest purposes, should be arrested at once by strin-
gent measures.
L do not propose to renew the discussion of the
subject of Chinese immigration in an economic,
moral or political aspect. because it is needless to
discuss a question in reference to which public
| SCullulCAI hCIC IS 81 hCttLIJ dLlluO Lie L6RlS-
lature have power, without doubt, to make such
provisions as will secure the people of the State
against the stream of filth and prostitution that has
been pouring in from Asia for the past twelve
months, and ut the same time secure the working
people Of the State against the importation of a class
whose servile competition tends directly to cheaper
and degrade labor.
While, however, the people of this State are with
much unanimity opposed to the Importation of
Chinese, both male and female, they are not disposed
to countenance any i'll usage of Chinese, or of any
other class within our borders.
President Grant, in his recent message, said
I advise such legislation as will forever preclude
the enslayement of the Chinese upon our soil under
the name of coolies and also prevent American
vessels from engaging in the transportation of coolies
to any country tolerating the system.
This subject is also attracting the attention of
Mr.. Charles Sumner and others of the United
States Senate. Senator Stewart, of Nevada, has
introduced a bill which is now before Congress,
and which we copy entire
BILL TO REGULATE CHINESE IMMIGRATION.
BE it enacted, etc., that any contract or agree
meut to procure aid or encourage the importation
or immigration of Chinese into the United States
shall be null and void, and any person entering into
any such contract or agreemen shall be deemed
guilty of q misdemeanor, and upon conviction there
of shall be fined in a sum not less than $500. and
imprisoned not less than six months, or both, at the
discretion of the court.
Sec. :. Ary contract or agreement to employ or 10
luIuiSl eilDNOJ Z " auS a W US ~ lC
nature or term of his service, or as to the amount or
use of his wages prior to his immigration into the
United States shall be null and void, and any person
entering into such contract or agreement, shall be
subject to conviction and punishment as provided in
the foregoing section.
Sec. 3. Any contract or agreement for or on behalf
of any vessel or ship to transport any Chinaman
into the United States made with any other than the
person SO TO be transported, shall be null and void,
and any person. entering into such contract or
agreement shall be subject IA conviction Had punish
meat as provided in the foregoing sections.
Sec 4. Any person recognizing, executing, or en-
Z forcing, or aiding to recognize, execute. or enforce
any e said contracts or agreements, Whersysr made
nrov;ded in tie the ,ogs.s.s;6S section, "e"s as
Sec. !. Itsaaii not be lawful tor any vessel or snip
to transport into the United States any Chinese
woman not accompanied by her husband or father
and such relationship of the woman to the man
accompanying her shall be evidenced by some ell
cient document attested by an American Consul and
furnished to the officer of the vessel Or ship and
before the departure of the woman therefrom in any
port of the United States, said document shall be
delivered to the Collector of the proper district,
whose duty it shall be to inquire into the facts ; and
the violation of any of the provisions of this section
by the owner, agent. or officer of any vessel or ship,
shall subject the offender to conviction and punish
ment as provided in the foregoing section.
Sec. 6. This Act shall not be constructed to deny
to Cinnamon free from any contract or obligation OF
service the right of voluntary immigration into the
United States.
Thus, it will be seen, that we are sustained in
all the points that We have made in regard to this
subject.