HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 47, 23 August 1895, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.80. The Hon. W. P. Reeves laid the annual education report on the table, and in doing so gave a detailed account of the working of the Department for the past year. Several local Bills were put through fchftiv final stages. The Hon. W. P. Reeves moved that the House go into Committee on the Asiatic and Other Immigration Restriction Bill. He said the Bill was read a second time, jirofumut, in order that it might be scut to the Labor Bills Committee. Me did uot suppose ihafc aay measure was move abused or more extensively advertised than the famous Undesirable Bill of last session. Some £200,000 per annum was spent by the colony on sickness, crime aud imbecility, and in the face of this it was most undesirable that tho colony should open its doors to j>aupers, criminals, lunatics, and diseased people. With respect to that portion of the Bill dealing with Asiatics, he remarked that the average Chinaman who left New Zealand took away with him .£2OO, and if that were correct they deprived the colony annually of about £20,000. He allowed tho Chiuarneu were industrious. The number of Chinese in the colony was gradually ou the increase. The Bill extended the poll tax to Assyrians and other Asiatics, aud raised the amount of I the tax from j?ll> to £100. Another portion of the Bill provided for the exclusion of lunatics, paupers, habitual drunkards, diseased persons, and criminals, which, ho held, were the most desirable provisions, and, drastic as they might appear, thc3 r were not nearly so drastic at those which existed in the great Democratic country of America. The Bill possessed an interest not only for the working man but for all classes of the community. Dr Newman snid the Opposit.on would largely support this Bill, which they had approved of before. He held it was übsolutely necessary, if the colony was to progress, that a litn and other undesirable immigration should be prevented as far as possible. Mr Dnthie failed to see any necessity for the Bill, and held that the existing law was sufficient for all purposes required. He denied Mr Reeves' assertion that the Chinese in the colony were increasing. Mr Stevens supported the Bill. He thought the poll tax should be a heavy one, to prevent the colon.y being flooded with the people ol alien races. Mr Thompson (Mavsden) said it was utter nonsence to think this Bill would prevent the labour market bein.T flooded. The market was being flooded not by Chinamen but by workmen from Australia. Mr O'Regan opposed the Bill. The Government was always urging the people to practise thrift, and the Chinese were an eminently thrifty class. Mr Collins strongly supported the Bill, which he contended would not injure a Chinaman within or out of the colony. Mr R. Mackenzie (Buller) said the Chinese did more harm than good on the goldfie)ds, Messrs Earnshaw and Willis generally supported the Bill. After further debate the motion for the committal of Mr Reeves' Asiatic and Other Immigration Restriction Bill was \ agreed to on the voices, but progress i was immediately reported. The House rose at 1 a.m.