Hawaii Holomua, Volume II, Number 37, 16 February 1894 Edition 02 — ASIATICS IN COUNCIL [ARTICLE]

ASIATICS IN COUNCIL

Fonr Thousa.rid People Present. Tbe mass-meetiDg announced • |to take plaee at tbe Cbinese Tbeatre on tbe 14tb inst. and for tbe parpose of consideration of tbe license laws whieh were latel_v | pa<vsed by the P. G. governtnent and whieh were considered by tbe Ieading Chiuese as onjast to | lhemselves and tbeir people, was what migbt will be eaileil, a grand turnout of tbe parties ro>’st concerned, over 4 0<X) people being present. Tbe meetiag was presided over bv Laa, Cbung a Chinese wellknown and respected by tbe business commonity, both foreign and to the mauor born. Messrs Goo Kim tbe Chinese Commereial Agent and Wong Quai tbe Vice-Coramissioner were present on tbe platform. Mr. Lau Cbung c.illed the meeting to order aud declared its object. Mr. Ing Chan of the Tong On Jan Companv said tbat Le was in favorof sending a communication to the Council not to pass sncb a j law. lf they will not Iistcn , commuuicatiou sbould be had witb the Chinese government. Mr. AVong Wah Foy of tbe j Wing Wo Tai Co. said that the Cbiuese had been opnressed loug enough. Tbe foreignei-s elaim to . be an enligbtened people, bnt he did not believe so from their ; actions. Union in a peaceful way must be had. Men-of-war migbt ; be t »lked of Iater on. Mr. Cbing Lim Kir» of the Ha j waiian Hardware Co. said tbat tbe Cbinese pay tbe raost of tbe | taxes: if it were not for them tbe | white mercbants of Honoluln ; would be ruiued. If tbe Cbinese stuck togcther tliey woukl eome out alrigbt. Mr. Cbang Kim a eleik with ex-Attorne}- Oenenil Ashfordsaid ■ that, even a worra will turn wheu j trod upon. We ask only for jus tioe and should aceept uotbing' less. Tbe Geary act in tbe U. S. is bad enough. but tbe j>roposed P. G. act is more unjust. Mr. N. Mouwar a law student witb Hon. Paul Neumaun said tbe Chinese population is great in uumber, in Hawaii. They only attempt to right tbeir wrougs peacefully. The bookkeeping law was vevoked by our action. We are tbreateued again. He'believed tlie’Cbinese would be protected by the Courts. Mr. Lee Chu said that, be was of the opiuion that if they did n>t do tbe best they eoukl to 0 .orcome tbe prouosc-d law then taey (the Cbiuese) had no blood iu tbem. On motion Uie fo!lowing reso luiion was put and apopted: Whereas, —Tbere is now pending before tbe legislative body of ehe Provisional Governraeut, an Act obliging Cbinese resideuts of these lslauds to obtaiu a special iicense, not called for in tbe case of any otber nationality, as a pre-requisite to conduct ng business iu tbis countn - ; and Whereas, —Sucb legislation is directed against the Chinese as a class, m violation of Constitutiooal provisions, ami of the prin ciples of eouity of civilu5edgovernuents; an»l woold, ifeuacted into law, prove an irritating oppression to a numerous and iawabiding class of resideuts, who pav a large proportion of the k»xes coIlected by the Government. and who are entitled to the protection of ihe laws, on term of equality with otber residents of thcse Islauds, now therefore, be it Resolved, —Tbat we, the Chin- ! ese reskients of Honolulu, iu ! mass meeting asseiubled, ou the eveuiin’of M eduesday, tbe 14tb day of r ebruary, lbt*4, do solemnlv protest fcgamst tbe injustice, Jegradation aud insult threateu1 eu to be imposed u{>on us aud our ! race by the legislatiou so, as aforesaid, peudiug and proposed to be enacted mto law. A committee of tbirteen eomp sed of the following Chinese was appoiuted to present tbe resolutions to tbe Advisory Couneil: C. Winam. Wong Wah Foy, Yim Quon, Chu Gem, Chaug Kim, Ho Fon, Lau Chock. Mouwar, Chang Chick. Ng Chao, Chu Ming. T. Kat Poo, Lm Chong. Tue meetiug tben adjourned.