The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-02-22
From Washington.

The committee OF Educate La
Dor IS unanimously in favor of taking
steps to check The evils of Chinese immi-
grafton to the Pacific coast. Mr.. Willis,
of Kentucky, " as the head of the
sub comm ttee has very carefully ex-
amined the subject. IS authorized to re-
port 70 the house q joint resolution
requesting the president to open cor
respondence with the governments of
China and Great Britain, with view
securing a change or sbrogation of any
stipulations in existing treaties which
permits the unlimited immigration of
the Chinese to the United States. The
entire committee, both democrats and
republicans, are agreed on this policy.
The report prepared by Mr.. Willis to
accompany the joint resolution presents
the following considerations
/. The statistics of the customhouse
tor the past twenty years, shows that,
dividing said twenty years into periods
of five years each, the average increase
of said periods is fifty per cent. Esti-
mating the present number of Chinese on
the Pacific slope at $50, ,OO0, which is the
lowest estimate from any source, if the
above rate of increase should continue,
by 1880 the number of Chinese would
exceed the native voting population, to-
gether with immigration from all other
sources, over sc, 600. The question there
fore, is not one of prospective but OF
present importance, and demanding leg
islation, il these immigrants are ohjee-
tionable.
2. The class of immigrants is from the
fourth or lowest class of Chinese, class
among whom, when in China, the mar
ital relation is ignored, polygamy and
prostitution and concubinage recognized
if not legalized, children and wives are
sold into slavery, and sanctity of oaths
disregarded. infanticlde, and especially OF
females, common and unrebuked, clean.
illness almost unknown, and pagankm
the only religion.
8. They are mostly brought here
under contracts, by which they agres to
pay to certain brokers, or to the six Chi
nese companies, a large percentage uDon
their passage money. When these Chi
nese attempt to return home they are
unable to do so, unless these six comma
MES give them permit. The companies
exercise a control over them greater than
that of the civil government The wo.
men who come are, without exception
immoral, and are bought and sold ike
J sheep in the shambles.
, 1 Viewing the subject from a lsbor
standpoint, the report says these Chns.
men live fifty in one room, twenty hv
twenty. They have no wives, no chld.
rem, no home in the sense in which sbo
word is known in America. Theipchod
is rice. Packed like sardines, and en;,,,
ing none of the comforts of home. IT,
live on ten or twenty cents per d,r
Their whole life antagonizes the Ams.;-
! can idea of labor.
5. The report argues that they sro
/; unfit to be American citizens, that d.
disregard oaths, keep up pagan custo0.
, and that it is impossible to execute ~
laws over them, or to make them reo.-J
. sanitary regulations.
6. The chief objection to the Cbi0.uo
is their utter failure to assimilate v;t,.
! our people and institutions. In ~,
} respect they are unlike all European -
migrants. They have been in the oo~-
try for twenty-seven years, and a,s II