Alien Immigration.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8195, 23 May 1906, Page 5

Alien Immigration.

The Colonies' Rights Questioned. (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Per Press Association.) MELBOURNE, May 22. • The papers in connection with" the Premiers' 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 subjected to disabilities or excluded from privileges tor the King's assent. The publication came as a surprise to Mr Deakin, who says the papers were marked " confidential." Mr Deakin made a protest against any curtailment of the rights of Australian legislatures to pass such laws. From the papers it is gathered that Mr Deakin telegraphed to Mr Carruthers, who replied that 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 powers of disallowance, and he had reason to believe that if the self-governing colonies objected to the despatch it would be withdrawn. 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 racial 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 most objectionable feature about 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 Lyttelfcon 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 Aliens Bills, that the siucere 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.