PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS AND BILLS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] "Wellington, Tuesday. THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS BILL. Copies of the Chinese Immigrants Bill, I bearing the name of Major Atkinson, were distributed to-day. It is provided that I the Act is only to come into operation when the Governor in Council is satisfied that the Chinese in the colony exceed 500. Ships arriving in the colony may not carry more than one Chinaman to every ten tons of tonnage, the owner, charterer, or master being liable to a penalty I not exceeding £10 for each passenger so carried in excess. The master on arrival is to give a list of the Chinese passengers on board and before landing, and the Chinese must pav to the Collector of Customs £10 for every such Chinese. This shall not apply to any Chinese member of. the crew, unless lie lands witli the intention of remaining in the colony. If the master neglect to pay the poll tax, he is liable to a penalty not exceeding £20 for each Chinese permitted to land without being paid for, and in addition to any such fault the vessel shall be forfeited and m.iy be seized, condemned, and disposed of in like manner as ships forfeited for a breach of any law relating to the Customs of the colony. On payment of the poll tax the Customs officer shall give each Chinese a certificate, which shall always be admitted as evidence of the sum having been paid. If. at any time within three years from the date of landing of any Chinese in respect of whom such sums shall have been paid, such Chinese shall depart from the colony to any part beyond the seas, and shall, before his departure, prove to the satisfaction of the Colonial Treasurer :—l, That, during his residence in the colony, he ha 3 not been confined in any gaol or lock-up, after conviction of any offence 2, That he has paid all fines and penalties imposed upon him under the provisions of any Act in force in the colony 3, That he has paid all expenses incurred in respect of his confinement or medical treatment in any public hospital, charitable institution, lunatic asylum or other place for the care, treatment, or cure of sick poor or of insane 4, And that no expense or charge has fallen upon the revenue for his support; then upon the production of his certificate the amount so paid in respect of such Chinese shall be repaid to him on board of the vessel by which he shall so depart; bnt if he shall fail to make such proof within the period aforesaid the amount shall be paid into the public account and form part of the consolidated fund. If any Chinese shall enter, or attempt to enter, the colony without the poll of £10 being paid he shall, besides such sum, be liable to a penalty not exceeding £10. At any hearing the justices may decide upon then- own view and judgment, whether aay person charged before them is a Chine.se or not within the meaning of the Act. All Chinese witiiin the colony at the time the Act comes into operation may within two months thereafter obtain a certificate of exemption from the payments under the Act. A certificate of exemption may also be granted in case of temporary absence from the colony. New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6108, 15 June 1881, Page 6

Tags: THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS BILL

The story is that of the RMS Niagara - a famous name and ship once called "the Titanic of the Pacific". Sailing the Pacific route - Sydney, Auckland, Fiji, Honolulu to Canada from 1913, the Niagara was sunk in 1940 in Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand by mines laid by the German raider HSK Orion.

Tags: Niagara

Twelve Chinese immigrants arrived in Auckland this morning on the steamer Manuka, and as usual the Collector of Customs, Mr A. Rose, personally interviewed each one. Five proved by photographs, etc., that they had been previous residents in the colony, and therefore not liable to the heavy poll tax, while another satisfied the official that he was legally a New Zealander, 'being a half-caste born at Tauranga. The remaining six each contributed 100 to the revenue of-their newly adopted country. Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 248, 17 October 1904, Page 4

Tags: Steamer Manuka

MAUNGANUI'S PASSENGERS. The following passengers were booked to leave to-day by the Maunganui for Sydney:

Long Sheung Chan Wan, Lul King Bun, Mrs. Wong Chan Wai.

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 85, 7 October 1932, Page 10

Tags: Maunganui for Sydney 1932

REGISTERING CHINESE. A WEEKLY SCENE. TAKING THE FINGER PRINTS. Is the scene a public one? It may not be intended for such, but in effect it is. It can be seen weekly, when the Sydney boat arrives. Lined up along the wall of a largo room in the Customs-Department, of which the door is always open, and clustered about the outer corridors can be seen a score or more of solemn Chinamen, their pigtails neatly braided over the hat-less heads, and almond eyes expressing various emotions. Callow young Celestials, who have torn themselves away from anxious parents, grizzled veterans who have left grand-children in the rice-fields, and every age between, may usually be seen among the Orientals. They are strangers in a strange land that does not specially want them, immigrants, who have paid their poll-tax, and are awaiting the receipt—with them their kith and kin of Wellington, who speak the tongue of the barbarians. The finger prints of those who have arrived for the first time are taken in a most elaborate way by a young cadette, who also takes tho strangers' names and addresses, and generally; puts them through their facings with a dignity of manner and decisiveness of action' whicn is most admirable.. "Ko Fung," tho young lady calls, after consultation of a list, and Ko Fung steps forward more or less promptly, shakes his head to indicate that he docs not understand English, and puts himself in the hands of the interpreter. Name, origin, occupation, and destination aro with some trouble elicited, and the man has then to make hia mark. On the form which notifies that he has paid his poll tax there are spaces left for tho finger prints of both his hands. Further prints are taken on a duplicate form, so that both parties may have evidence of the payment. Usually the newcomer regards this performance as fearfully mysterious. His fingers are smudged with ink, and he essays to place the tips very gingerly upon the white sheet: Placing a towel above his band, the young lady presses down quickly but firmly the ends of four fingers—first, the right hand, then the left. The name of the next Chinaman is called. Twelve Chinese arrived by the Sydney boat yesterday, but ten of them had been in New Zealand before, and when this is the case the finger prints are taken less elaborately on a sheet of foolscap for comparison with the Department's previous rccords. Several members of the Wellington Chinese colony were present to hearten up tho strangers for the mysterious but brief ordeal. Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 6

Tags: REGISTERING CHINESE.

ENTRY OF RACE ALIENS CHINESE IMMIGRANTS NUMBER GREATLY INCREASED A total of 217 Chinese have arrived at Auckland since the beginning of this year, compared with I93 during the whole of last year, states the- "Herald." During the same period 34 Chinese left from Auckland, the total departures in 1919 being 55. Equally largfe numbers of Chinese have beeir entering the Dominion through the port of Wellington. The Customs authorities state that every passenger steamer now brings the. full complement of Chinese allowed, one for every 200 tons burthen. At present there, are stated, to lie over 90 Chinese  in Sydney awaiting vessels to bring them to New Zealand, while accommodation on steamers from Hongkong to Sydney is fully booked up to July or August. The new arrivals wait in Sydney, under bond until they can secure a passage to New  Zealand. An interesting point in connection with recent immigration is the increase in the number of women admitted. The recent heavy influx of Orientals is held to be mainly due to the fact that shipping conditions have returned to normal, enabling the large number o Chinese who had gathered in Sydney to reach their destination. The new arrivals appear to have little difficulty in meeting the education test, which with a. poll tax of 100  is the only restriction imposed on Chinese immigration into the Dominion. Only one or two .in the course of a year fail to meet the test, and if refused entry on these grounds they have the right of appeal to a magistrate. .Recently two men who failed to pass the test to the satisfaction of the Customs officials exercised this right  and both appeals were allowed. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DOM19200410.2.14&srpos=72&e=-------100-DOM-1----0poll+tax--  Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 6

Tags: Sydney

ENTRY OF RACE ALIENS CHINESE IMMIGRANTS NUMBER GREATLY INCREASED A total of 217 Chinese have arrived at Auckland since the beginning of this year, compared with I93 during the whole of last year, states the- "Herald." During the same period 34 Chinese left from Auckland, the total departures in 1919 being 55. Equally largfe numbers of Chinese have beeir entering the Dominion through the port of Wellington. The Customs authorities state that every passenger steamer now brings the. full complement of Chinese allowed, one for every 200 tons burthen. At present there, are stated, to lie over 90 Chinese  in Sydney awaiting vessels to bring them to New Zealand, while accommodation on steamers from Hongkong to Sydney is fully booked up to July or August. The new arrivals wait in Sydney, under bond until they can secure a passage to New  Zealand. An interesting point in connection with recent immigration is the increase in the number of women admitted. The recent heavy influx of Orientals is held to be mainly due to the fact that shipping conditions have returned to normal, enabling the large number o Chinese who had gathered in Sydney to reach their destination. The new arrivals appear to have little difficulty in meeting the education test, which with a. poll tax of 100  is the only restriction imposed on Chinese immigration into the Dominion. Only one or two .in the course of a year fail to meet the test, and if refused entry on these grounds they have the right of appeal to a magistrate. .Recently two men who failed to pass the test to the satisfaction of the Customs officials exercised this right  and both appeals were allowed. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DOM19200410.2.14&srpos=72&e=-------100-DOM-1----0poll+tax--  Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 6

Tags: Sydney