Alien Immigration.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 36, 24 May 1906, Page 2

Alien Immigration.

THE COLONIES’ RIGHTS QUESTIONED.

Melbourne, May 22

The papers in connection with the Premier’s Conference at Sydney have been published. They cover the proposal of Mr Balfour as to instructing Australian Governments to reserve all bills by which natives of Asia were subject to disabilities or excluded from privileges for the King’s assent. The publication came as a surprise to Mr Deakin. who savs the papers were marke' 1 “confidential.” Mr Deakin made a protest against any curtailment ot the rights of Australian legislatures to pass such laws. From the papers it is gathered that Mr Deakin telegraphed tr Mr Carruthers, who replied tha f he had no objection to the proposal of the Imperial Government. Mr Seddon, however, cabled to Mr Carruthers in protest, declaring the whole thing was unnecessary as the King had the Dowers of disallowance, and he had reason to believe that if the self-governing colonies objected to the despatch it would be with drawn. He added: “ You will, I hope, agree with me that there is one thing above all others we should jealously guard, viz,, anything infringing our action respecting the preservation of racia l purity and the landing of undesirable immigrants. We are protesting and hope you will take action in a similar direction.” Mr Seddon was also of the opinion that the whole thing was the making of the instructions ‘ ‘ confidential ”by Mr Lyttelton, late Colonial Secretary. The Premiers’ Conference discussed the subject and decided to send Mr Lyttelton a draft bill for submission to the House of Commons setting out what class of bills should be reserved for Imperial approval.

Mr Deakin states with reference to Mr Lyttelton’s despatch on the question of vetoing the Asiatic AUens Bills, that the sincere decision of the Premiers’ Conference was to submit a bill to the House of Commons. The.matter has been satisfactorily settled, but he refused to disclose how.