THE CHINIESE IMMIGRATION BILL IN QUEENSLND.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 301, 22 September 1888, Page 4

THE CHINIESE IMMIGRATION BILL IN QUEENSLND.

In the Assembly at Brisbane Mr Corfield introduced a Bill to amend certain provi sions of the Injuries to Property Act. Sir Thomas Mcllwraith moved the second reading of the Chinese Immigration Restiiction Bill. He referred to the recent Chinese agitation throughout the colonies and expressed deop regret at the mode of action adopted by New South, Wales, which hindered rather than assisted tho Home authorities in carrying; out their object. One thing was certain, that the uction of New South Wales had not tho sympathy of Queensland, at tho recent intercolonial conference held for the i urpose of framing a Bill for the assent of the respective Parliaments. The Bill now being discussed was almost verbally the same as that agreed upon at the conference. The principle of the Bill was tho limitation of theone Chinese passenger to 500 tons of cargo. The conference had not made sufficient provision to prevent! Chinese being shipped as the crew and afteri yards landed as passongers. That, however, wou'd be overcome by the Bill subI mitted to-day, Sir Thomas M'lhvraith was of opinion that the Chinese Govern - meut were not the least anxious to send emigrants to Australia. In fact, emigration thus far had been contrary to the wishes of the Chinese authorities. The Chinese were only coming from Crown colonies governed by the British Crown, and the emigration was carried on under the auspices of the British merchants Thercfoio it was simply owing to the laxity of the British Government in the Cro>vn coloir'es of China that the emigrants were allowed come to Australia. Acablegram had been received from Lord Knutsford totheetlectthat the Imperial Government saw no reason to disturb thedecision made by the recent anti-Chinese conference. Queensland proposed to insert a new clause to provide that a vessel after her ai rival should not be allowed to clear until the names and numbers of the Chinese crews were checked in order to ascertain whether any of the crew had been allowed to land as passengers. Sir Thomas M'lhvraith Lhoughb that the colonies would succeed in keeping out the Chinese better by legislating ior themselves, because e\en if arrangements were made with the Chinese Government to stop emigiation there are thousands of Chinese out of the control of the Chinese Emperor. Sir Samuel Griffith said that all were agreed, as to the advisability of excluding the Chinese as far as possible. Like Sir Thomas M'llwraith, he thought a treaty between England and China would not succeed as well as the passing of a Restriction Bill by ourselves. There was one serious matter, however : the Chinese could charter an old ship at a cost of, say £I*ooo to carry, say, 500 Chinese and land them on the Northern Terri-ory or the Gulf of Carpentaria. The result would be that the ship would be forfeited and the captain fined £500 for each passenger. The captain would be unable to pay and would go to prison for six months, and then be released. The 500 Chinese would also be imprisoned for a term at the expense of the countiy and afterwards liberated. He thought the Chinese should be liable financially uutil such liability were discharged. He hoped the bill would become law and that the other colonies would also pass similar bills. Restriction in one colony alone would do nothing. Mr Macrossan regretted that at the recent conference the representative of Tasmania was more anxious to encourage than to discourage Chinese immigration. Mr Macrossan thought that Sir Samuel Griffith's supposition ot 500 Chinese chartering an old vessel was farfetched and not likely to happen. He hoped that Queensland would be the first colony to pass the bill. The Premier of New South Wales had promised to introduce a bill as soon as two other colonies passed the measure. The second reading of the Chinese Bill was carried. The debate in committee on the Railways Bill was long and dry. A discussion was raised by Sir Samuel Griffith on the question of constitutional right to introduce a bill with figures in blank. It is understood that the salaries to be fixed aie: Chief, £3,000 ; other commissioners, £1,500.