CALIFORNIA. 



85 



< s, who have wives and children depending >n 

 tlu-iii l'i>r support, rcHult I'roiu the maintenance i.t'tlie 

 tri-aty with China, which largely contributes to fill 

 HUT poor-houses an>l hotpiUuB with unwilling in- 

 ns tin- i. nly sin -hi-r they can obtain from pov- 

 n<l Mi-kncss caused by loss of work ; and 



Wktna, It is against public policy that under any 

 present pretext whatever encouragement should ho 

 given by treaty stipulations, or otherwise, to the im- 

 migration of a servilo laboring element among us: 

 therefore, he it 



Resolved by the Senate, the Assembly concurring, 

 That our Senators be instructed, and ourKeprcsent- 

 ativi-s requested, to use their influence to have Ar- 

 tk-k-s V. and VI. of our treaty with China modified, so 

 as to discourage the further immigration of Chinese 

 to our shores, by appropriate action on the part of 

 the Federal Government. 



Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor be re- 

 quested to forward a copy of the foregoing preamble 

 and resolutions to our Senators and Representatives 

 in Congress at as early a day as possible. 



Before the Senate commission entered upon 

 its inquiry, a public meeting was held in San 

 Francisco for the expression of the sentiment 

 of the people on the subject. Governor Irwin 

 addressed the meeting, declaring that the influx 

 of the Chinese threatened a subversion of our 

 civilization and the degradation of American 

 labor. An address was adopted setting forth 

 the extent of Chinese immigration, its effect 

 upon industry, morals, and health, and the ne- 

 cessity of some action to put a check upon it. 

 Among the statements of the address were the 

 following: 



Altogether they cannot be made more than in a 

 partial degree amenable to the laws of the several 

 States they have invaded ; they, in effect, constitute 

 a vast secret society, governed by laws and con- 

 trolled by officials of their own; beyond the reach 

 of the legally constituted authorities of the land, 

 they are for the most part so singularly regardless 

 of the laws of health in their mode of living and so 

 difficult to be brought within sanitary regulations, 

 especially as to proper ventilation in their crowded 

 abodes, as to constitute wherever they are found in 

 numbers a startling menace to public'health. 



They will never acquire our language except for 

 the purpose of perfecting themselves for certain em- 

 ployment. Their civilization is not in accordance 

 with ours. Their numbers make them as formi- 

 dable, and their habits as destructive, as the locusts 

 of Etrypt or the grasshoppers of Kansus. 



We look upon them with fear and alarm. No su- 

 periority of race or intelligence can resist such su- 

 periority of numbers. They are not of us, and we 

 invoke the protection of the General Government 

 against the invasion now upon us and with which we 

 are threatened. 



The committee give their denial to the sentimental 

 error that the Chinese are distinguished for the pe- 

 culiar possession of the virtues of industry and are 

 a law-abiding and inoffensive population. The 

 truth is, that in the city of San Francisco there are 

 not less than ten thousand Chinese belonging to the 

 criminal classes, and number among them the most 

 abandoned and dangerous of criminals; that they 

 are more difficult to manage by the police authori- 

 ties than the same class among the white people, 

 and are entirely out of the pale of any possible refor- 

 mation. 



The committee are informed, upon intelligent 

 Chinese authority, that this class is dangerous, and 

 a constant source of terror to their own people, em- 

 bracing as it does gamblers, opium-eaters, hangers- 

 on upon dens of prostitution, and men of abandoned 



and violent character who live upon their country- 

 men by levying black-mail, and exacting tribute from 

 ull cluubcH of Chinese society. 



The addrew closed with the following reso- 

 lutions, which were adopted by the meeting: 



Resolved, That the sentiments embodied in the 

 foregoing address are expressions of the opinion .f 

 this assemblage, and in view of the facts thei. 

 forth we earnestly recommend the Congress of the 

 United States to give this matter of Chinese immi- 

 gration its immediate and earnest attention. 



Resolved, That the people of California, in their 

 perfect loyalty to the Government and the law, rec- 

 ognize their duty to the Chinese now among U8, 

 promising them protection and all their right*, and 

 a guarantee of all the privileges to which they are 

 entitled under existing law s. 



Resolved, That in relation to the continuing immi- 

 gration of Chinese, we claim the right, from our su- 

 perior knowledge of the results of this immigration 

 and our observation of its practical workings, and as 

 an intelligent part of the American people, to de- 

 clare our unalterable hostility to it, to say that the 

 bulk of this immigration is pure and simple peonage. 



coolies. 



a slavery only terminable at the will of masters 

 over whom our laws have no control. 



Resolved, That this system is immoral and brutal- 

 izingworse than African slavery. It involves sys- 

 tematic violation of our State and municipal law 8, 

 and is attended by murder, false and forcible im- 

 prisonment, perjury, subornation, kidnapping, and 

 the sale of women for the purpose of prostitution. 



Resolved, That the presence of these people in our 

 midst has a tendency to demoralize society and min- 

 ister to its worst vices ; it aids to corrupt and de- 

 bauch pur youth, and the labor of this servile clacs 

 comes in direct competition with the labor of Ameri- 

 can citizens. It degrades industrial occupations, 

 drives white labor from the maiket, multiplies idlers 

 and paupers, and is a menace to Christian civiliza- 

 tion. If these things be true and we challenge 

 their successful denial then \ve have a right to de- 

 mand of Congress that it shall investigate, and tlun 

 legislate for the abatement of this evil : therefore 



Resolved, That the general committee having this 

 meeting in charge shall appoint, the mayor of the 

 city approving, not to exceed five reputable citizens 

 of San Francisco, intelligent uprn this Chinese 

 question, who shall proceed to Washington, and, 

 having submitted this address and these resolutions 

 to the Houses of Congress, shall earnestly urge such 

 legislation as may be necessary to meet the require- 

 ments of this occasion. 



The Senate commission pursued its investi- 

 gation for several weeks during the months of 

 April and May, and took a large mass of testi- 

 mony concerning the character and effects of 

 Chinese immigration. In the latter part of the 

 year a committee of the Federal Senate visited 

 the State for the purpose of inquiring into the 

 same subject. The official reports have not 

 yet been made public. 



There was no State election this year, but 

 conventions of the political parties were luhl 

 for the purpose of appointing delegates to tho 

 national conventions. That of the Republi- 

 cans took place at Sacramento, on the 27th of 

 April. The following resolutions were unani- 

 mously adopted : 



Resolved, That we have undiminished faith in the 

 integrity of the Republican party of the nation ; thu 



