SIR ARTHUR KENNEDY AND THE CHINESE.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 20 June 1881, Page 2

SIR ARTHUR KENNEDY AND THE CHINESE.

[from the cooktows hebald.] On the occasion of the rent visit of the Governor of Queensland to Cook* town,hiß Excellency was presented with an address from the Chinese merchants and residents. Sir Arthur Kennedy, in reply, said .—* G-entleman, — I hope there is an interpreter present who can faithfully convey to the Chinese residents my thanks for their address and all that I am about to say. I know the Chinese population well, having spent five years of my lift administering the Government over a population of 140,000 without aid of a Council, and were there were only 25, 000 Europeans in no town or colony

was there l.iws, or better pea:) than in Hong Kong. I look back with great regret on the repressive meapure which some people throughc proper to indroduce here, because I beiive such measure to be suiciJal as regards the interests of Cooktown and ; of the colony. That is my opinion, and I believe that a few years' experience will confirm its correctness. I may add, as a proof of my feeling with regard to the Chinese, that for nine years I have had none other than Chinese servants with the exception of laly's maid) and I can safely affirm that there is no better regulated family in the land than mine. They observe the laws and are good subjects in every way. It is true that in common with others, they try to make money, and admit that they run after it, andjpro* bably keep it ; but where will you find as is the case of my own street io Brisbane, a continuous chain of public houses, as it wgr*e eki'mming*' the cream from social and national progress ? They are accused of being addicted to opium consumption, but never during the five years that I believed amongst them did T ever see a case where its consumption caused an out* rage against public decency and order. If they use it they do not indulge in brutal dance on the prostrate forms of their wives but they treat them all well. I baye been all over the world and have had servants from all nationalities, but I consider" the Chinese the best; I consider the Chinese an honest, industrious, and law-abiding race, and would like to see them settled here. They may be tinpopular, but so long as they respect the laws they are entitled to the protection of those who administer those laws. I thank the Chinese merchants and residents for their adress.'