From the discovery of gold the Chinese immigrants began to arrive in alarming numbers. As they represented a reservoir of population, by which we could be deluged and swamped, some measures of restriction were necessary. The Opposition advised that every Chinaman entering the colony should be obliged to carry a British subject on his shoulders, that is to say that he should pay a sum which would cover the expense of bringing out an English immigrant to balance him in the community. The Chinese proved skilful and industrious settlers, made excellent gardeners and washermen, and the round head and diminutive eyes of the Chinese pedlar became a welcome sight to housewives in the country. They made considerable settlements in Melbourne and the goldfields, and a stream of Celestials steadily come and go every year.[1]
A whole session was lost without any effectual progress, and it came to be believed that many of the Ministers were not in cordial sympathy with their own proposals. The Minister in charge of the Land Bill threw up his portfolio, and one of his colleagues followed his example. The Legislative Council, crowded with squatters, were not disposed to yield their advantages to a weak and divided Government, and long negotiations with them came to nothing. A new Government was inevitable, but in what direction were its members to be sought? The Democratic Party, who stood almost
- ↑ Little Bourke Street is their main settlement in Melbourne, and almost every shop has a Chinese sign. An English shopkeeper in the street wished for such a sign, and settled a disputed account with a Chinese painter by getting this job from him. The sign was a great success; every Chinaman who passed stopped to read it with applause and laughter, and it was observed that Chinamen came from a distance to share this enjoyment. At length the shopkeeper got the sign interpreted. This was the legend, "Beware of this fellow, he is a cheat." The names of Chinamen often resembling English words was a constant subject of amusement. A County Court judge directed a newly-appointed crier to call for a witness he wanted. "Call," he said, for "Ah Song." The crier, after examining the judge for a minute to make sure he was serious, cried, "Will any gentleman favour his Worship with a song?" The story of the Chinese sign-painter was rivalled by a purely colonial story. A father and son were in partnership as dancing masters, but after a time the senior insisted that they should separate, and they became somewhat of rivals. It was the habit of the parent establishment to summon pupils by a circular in the French language, and after the separation the father had to request his son to perform this task for him. He performed the task as usual, adding an avis, "Comme maître de danse mon père n'est pas le fromage"
