West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-09-14
The British Colum bian Method.
San Fraucisco Chronicle


The neighboring province of British
Columbia has latterly been in the throe,
ot an anu-Chinesc agitation quite
aS vigorous ne that now prevalent in
this state, and measures for the abate-
ment of coolie immigration and reduc-
ton oi the scourgc upon civilization tO
safe control have been leading issue
before the provincial parliament. mt
present sitting in Victoria. The plan
devised by the government party, en-
TITLED the Chinese tax bill, after long
course of spirited discussion, attended
with n variety of propositions to amend,
was finally passed on the 10th inst, with
NO material change from the original
form, except reduction of the proposed
tax on Cinnamon from sixty dollars To
forty per annum. The parliament was
apparently unanimous on the necessity
OF restricting Chinese immigration and
regulating Coolie labor, and the opposi-
tion TO the bill, evidently excited on
behalf of those interested in fostering
coolie labor, manifested itself i'm urging
delays and amendments calculated to
render the act Ineffective q. To incur
the disapproval of the superior author
ity of the dominion government. Al
though subject to the approval of the
governor general, and To the imperial
sanction as well, if its provisions may
hc found to conflict with any treaty OBJ
legations binding the British govern
ment and its dependencies i'm common,
the act becomes Immediately operative,
and the Chinese have the alternative of
paying their tribute of forty dollars per
capita, or committing by labor upon the
public highways Mt the rate of seventy
five cents day less the expense of
board and lodgings. This obligation is
rendered unavoidable by supplement.
tary clause imposing severe penalty,
either 10y fine or imprisonment, on any
person employing Chinaman who is
not armed with receipt from the gov
ernment as evidence that he is duly H.
ccnsed to labor i'm the province. The
number of Chinese i'm British Column
bla at present Is estimated at between
five thousand and ,ix thousand, and
taking the lower estimate the aggregate
revenue from this source will amount
to the round sum of $200,000 which is
considerably in excess of the entire reve-
nue. OF the province heretofore realized
from taxation. About fifteen hundred
coolies arc employed i'm the salmon can
neries on Frazer river, and these will be
held TO n tribute of $40, 600, which sum
the employers may advance on the
wages e: the coolies if necessary. For
some years past the Chinese have been
taking out nearly $4,000, 900 annually
from the gold mines of British Colum-
bia, all of which has been sent out of
the country, with n large amount i'm
addition gained from general pursuits.
There expenditures i'm the country for
any other benefit than the trade of their
own merchants is infnitesimal and
they have thus far almost completely
escaped tribute TO the government which
tolerates and protects them, through
their shrewdness i'm concealing the value
and ownership of property and their
proverbial talent for falsehoOd. The
presence of the Chinese i'm the province,
their numbers having been largely in
creased in the past few months, has also
lmposed heavy burden on the taxpay-
my public, by reason of their lawless-
ness and the necessity of maintaining
hundreds of them i'm the prisons.
Viewed on all points, the people of Brit
lSh Columbia believe that the new law
rs entirely just and proper, and IT, is ex-
pectcd tlstt the effect of the act will be to
interrupt the cooIic invasion, encourage
the departure Of n surplus already in the
province and hold these that remain Ia
the payment of their fair proportion OF
the expenses OF government.