Our People. 27 
sion to which I have already made reference. Whatsocver there is of religion 
in hin—and no doubt there is much of a kind—it operates upon his mind in 
exactly the same way as religion did on the old Puritans of North America : 
“Whilst they neglected not religion they gave full play to their commercis! 
instincts.”” This is a characteristic, comparatively speaking, that is sadly 
lacking in the descendants of the African slaves. There is too great reliance 
upon Providence—thanks to their advisers after Freedom—and too little upon 
their own business instincts and initiative. 
But I must not digress. Reference has been made to the Hast Indian mar- 
riages and to the want of information amongst them regarding their being able 
to contract lawful marriages according to their own personal law and religion. 
And it has been suggested that this knowledge could be easily disseminated 
“ byappointing duly registered Pundits or Moulvies selected for their character 
“and popularity, who would be required to keep in touch with the authorities 
“and be responsible for the proper conduct of the duties entrusted to them.” 
This has already been done by the Immigration authorities and several mar- 
riages—not the solitary marriage known to Mr. Hewick,—have been so per- 
formed by these duly registered Pundits: so there is nothing to complain 
of in this connection. The case is truly very different as regards intestacy. 
The East Indian is subject to the Roman-Dutch law; but I am not aware 
of any hardships having been suffered on this score. In view of the fact that 
is is proposed to abolish the Roman-Dutch Law altogether, and substitute 
English law in its stead, probably the known equitability of the latter may 
have the effect of reconciling Mr. Hewick to the idea that there should be 
one law for all subjects in the colony. 
So little has been said about our Chinese fellow-colonists in the paper under 
notice that I cannot refrain from remarking upon their great usefulness to the 
community in general. They are by no means a negligible quantity, although 
comparatively few in number. According to the latest census returns they 
total nearly 3,000 in number. In wealth they equal the richest of any race in 
the colony calculated per 100 or per 1,000, and they are as progressive and as 
law-abiding, and well-conducted withal, as the best people. As jewellers ard 
gardeners they excel, and they can successfully carry on business 28 merchants 
and shopkeepers. It is not correct to say “ they have introduced gambling.” 
What there is of gambling that comes into public notice in the colony is not 
of Eastern but rather of Western origin and introduction. Sometime back 
they captured the public taste for the “cheefa ’’ game, but as that has been 
stamped out by legislation and the efforts of the police, the only form of 
gambling indulged in by them is restricted to their own race and people, and 
as inter-marriage with other races is exceptional there appears to be no danger 
whatever to the community if they lived their own lives according to their 
own religion and personal law—a state of things Mr. Hewick nnequivocally 
advocates for the East Indians. 
There remain the Portuguese and Aboriginal Indians to be mentioncd. 
The latter aru really what “Herbert Spencer calls “ provis isional races ~* and 
according to experience these in time must die out after contact with civilisa- 
