HODSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1839, 12 May 1888, Page 2

HODSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Friday, May 11. The honse met at 2 30 p.m. ' NOTICES OF MOTION, ETO, j Notice was given by Mlaisbera of the appointment of the nsual Sessional Oommltteeß Mr Fergus gave notice of the introdootlon of the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteer Land Bill. Mr Beetham gave notice of a motion that a portion of the prooeeda of the totalisafcors on racecouraaa be given to oharltable aid. QUESTIONS. Mr Hobba a3ked Government whether they intend to introdure a Bill at an early date this session to finally settle olaima of old BOttlerß and volunteers to land. Mr Fergus said a Bill would be Introduced shortly giving effeot to those claims. Major Steward asked the Minister of Native Affrirs whether. li is his intention to Introduce early In the session a BUI to make provision for taalf-oaates m the Middle Island whose olaima to land have i not as yet been dealt with. ! Mr Mltobelß&n Bald a Bill was now m coarse of preparation dealing with this subject. Mr Fitzherbert asked 'the Minister for Pablio Works whether Government propose to appoint Commissioners under the Government Railways Aot, 1887 ? Mr Mitohalson aaid Government in* tended to make the appointments when suitable persona for the offioa were found. THE CHINESE INFLUX. Mr Reeves;(St Albans) asked the Pra mier what steps, if any, Government propose to take to prevent a large number of Chinese now m New Zealand waters from landing m the colony ? Sir H. Atkinson said it was not proposed to take any such step. He did not think, m faofc, that there were any Ohineae now on the water. With the permission of the House, however, he would explain the provisions of the Bill he was to introduce that afternoon, That BUI provided all the penalties provided m the Victorian Bill, and made it penal for any ship to bring moro than one Ohinatnan for every 100 tons, heavy penalties being provided for, Government had done this believing that there would be no difficulty m bringing aaoh a Bill into operation, for as the House was aware this question could only be dealt with by the approval of the Imperial Government. It was a question of foreign policy, and Government did not consider it advisable to go further m the matter at tha present time. He hoped, however that the Bill would be assented to at once, and that it would prove effective. With regard to the Chinamen already on the water, they bad been carefully examined m order to see that no Infections diseases were introduced, but Government considered it would have been a breaob of faith to prevent them from landing m New Zealand, and that if suoh preventive measures were taken complications might follow which would be worse than the increase of population of the colony by IQO Chinamen. (Hear, hear.) At the same time they felt atrongjy that such importations should be put a atop to. Government had reoently been m communication with the other Australian colonies on a proposal of which hon members would bo aware, to holdjjajOonfereLCd on this question. So far as the Government of this colony were concerned they were of opinion that if possible the Home Government ahould be moved to enter into Borne Buoh treaty as as that recently made between America and China. He had, through the courtesy of the American Consul at Auckland seen a copy of this treaty, and the Government was of opinion that it would suit this oolony. The Government, however, had not felt justified m taking action which might lead to serious complications. (Hear.) With reference to the proclamation of Ohinosa ports as infeoted, the Premier added that Chinese ports were proclaimed m 1881. The proclamation of that year would be repub'iahed, and notice sent to the Australian Governments that any ehlpa bringing Chinese passengers wonld be liable to be quarantine.