The morning call., 1890-12-10
CURSED BY CHINESE.
Evils of Their Presence More
Fully Explained.
Close Of the Inquiry by the Congressional
Committee On immigration - Off
for Southern Cities

The investigation of the subcommittee of
the Congressional Joint COMMITTEES on Inl-
migration and Naturalization was concluded
in this city yesterday afternoon and to-day the
remaining two members. Representatives
Lehlbach and Stump will depart for Los
! Angeles and San Diego.
AT those cities they will complete the Pa
clfic Coast inquiry into the many evils of
Chinese immigration and hear additional
testimony as to the desire of the people on
the subject Of the enforcement and amend
ment of the existing laws governing mmi-
grafton and naturalization. After the COM
mittee adjourned the Congressman from
New Jersey made neat little speech, in
which he thanked the press for the valuable
assistance it had rendered during the in
yestigation.
Soon after Chairman Lehlbach called the
committee to order in the Appraisers
Building yesterday morning letter was re-
ceived from j. L. Fields. late Chief Clerk of
the First Census District of California, and
filed in evidence 1t stated that Consul Bee
is mistaken when he swore that there are
only 1900 Chinese in this city. The census
enumeration shows there are nearly 10000
Mongols in the Chinese quarter and nearly
5000 in the city outside of the Chinese
colony.
MR.. PHELPS RECALLED.
Collector of the Port Phelps again took
the witness-stand and spoke of the nom
assimilative character of the Chinese. For
forty years they had practced polygamy in
our midst and divorced themselves without
the aid of the courts. They sell their women,
body and soul, in defiance of all laws.
smoking OPIUM" said he, ''is the worst
habit the Chinese have introduced. 1t is
thousand times worss than the habit of
| taking strong drink. 1t is vice that Ameri-
| cans cannot follow, as we are a nervous peo-
| pie. and the habit rapidly undermines our
| systems. The importation o f opium for
| smoking purposes should be prohibited by
| Congress. From Jul y, 1888, to November.
| 1890, 175,0C0 pounds of refined opium were
| received in this port. The drug is worth its
! weight in silver, and smug.lers resort to
| every device to get it landed without paying
| the customs duties. There are 39S Chinese
| firms in this city, each OF which has three to
| four partners. In Chinatown there are
| nearly 10000 Chinese living on an area Of
| about fourteen acres"
When Collector Phelps left the stand the
| committee complinented him on the manner
| i'll which he had enforced the provisions of
| the Exclusion Act.
| TESTIMONY IN vINDICATIoN.
For four hours the committee then listened
| TO the testimony OF witnesses summoned by
| Burnside Cromwell, a reporter, whose test-
| niony. in reference to the methods of high
binde and the Six Companies in collecting
| debts or claims by intimidation and force
| was assailed on Monday by Consul Bee
| and the Presidents of the Six Companies. e
| Police Officer Martin J. Walsh related how
| he and Officer Young liberated All Lucy
| from the rooms of the Chinese Six Companies
| on Commercial street, ON the night of
| February 18th last Lucy, who was a
merchant from New Orleans en- route to
China, was detained by force from o'clock
| in the morning until after o'clock at night.
| There was such mob of Chinese in the
| streets and Lucy was so afraid of being
| assassinated, that the officers placed him in
4 hack and drove him to place of safety
| on Van Ness avenue.
As to other matters connected with the
| Chinese the witness said they gamble and
| sell opium and lottery tickets to the whites.
! He also explained how difficult it is to con-
Wet Chinese of gambling or smoking
opium. He had arrested some 5000 or 1000
| Chinese for various crimes and he knew
that many murders had been committed in
| Chinatown by hishbinders. Murders in
| that section of the city are of frequent oc-
currence and very often the result of debt
| or Highlander feuds.