THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1751, 16 June 1888, Page 1

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

'.;.,; , ' Sydney,, June 13. ~ Tha Waihora has sailed, 'for Wellington with twelve Chinese. The GutlVrie; has ei;>hty-five returned Chinese. . C jto-day a^ebd to ttje following resqlutiooß|:-^'' That: the.further r.esfcriction of Ohineso/immigrHtioa is essential to the' welfare |of, the {people; of Australasia"; "That j the nepessary irestriotions will be,best by diplomatic action on the part of the Imperial GoverumenVaud, by unifbrm by the oolonlea" j "Thai the 1 coforiiea should make a joint representation on the 6nbject't6 the Imperial Government, and that.',a Bill be'drafted •pbodyiogi the ; foregoing radiations." ; [ Messrs Deakin,, K)ngston, and Mecßossah were appointefi a po/nmittee Io driw up a remonstrance and prepare the and were,instructed, that the provisions of the |Bill should 1 , be .to apply to all Chinese;'vvhetHer Brjtiph subiects or not; thaU each '•'■' ressel, should not carry more than one p^ssengert 1 for. every 500 tons, and that the ioflux, of ( Ghinese from, one colony to another should be made a misdemeanour.: ! -'" : .'u> -'■;' -,/;,,,, ..■.,,':, j June 14.'. '■-'

The following ia th« effact of the. jepljeg cabled by Lord Knutaford to certain (jaostions asked by th» Chinese Conference':— ■ Imperial GoYermoent are anxious to ( i»ee.t the views of ;'be Australians, but the measure passed by the New South Wales Legislature places obstucies in the way of negotiating with China, and it is imporiaut to ascertain if other arrangements can be made more in «ccord.ince witu, the views of China. The Chinese Government object particularly, to Chinese,; emigraqta,

being 'placed;;oh a ;different footing to those belonging' 'to otlier 'n'dtiops, but .if they art placed o-i an equal footing f tiie. Chinese" Government migtit be to accept conditions aimilnr to tljppe uode'r the concluded! with the United. States. It must v however, be distinctly understood thsit aperbl Government are'prepared to consider any representations trtade by the 'Conference,'" t'hey''are'' quite iun'ible_ to assure tiie" Conference that negotiations { slihCi'be opened with Chinat hn| the basis of such,TepJ,esuntationß, asVtfie 1 Acti.in .of, tneimpefial Government will! altogether depend oh the nature oftbe:proposals-to-be submitted by the Conference.'' <»' (!:!l ' !• Sir [Henry. P«rkea, as President of the Gonfaroocb, has replied ths follow ng effect :—The Coiiferencel'Maa ! considered the question jfrjom the standpoint of the political,.and commercial interests 618 the Empire, and th« commercial iiitere!at«'iof the 7 colonieß.- the ' v«lUe'> of. J lAustmlian exports to China was £16,000, whilst Australian imports from Ghinn W»8 £850,000. -Thus whilst 5 Tthe \ AuatralvaA custom wrs of va'riefb Chins the latter couq|;ry,;afforded s !;nq:"Rrettt outlet at pre-1 sent for Austraiian trade. No attempt I had b»'en rnaile to Australian matkets -,against the Chinese,., and though euggestioas for reutriclionsof « gener.il character had ibeen fuljy eonsifiered,.' no | practicable. 'scheme had been discovered.' : Aa tiotis beLWeen 'the' Imperial Government and China must occupy anlunoertHin time,, and as the colonies in the mountime had reason to,dread a.large influx of Cbineae, the several Australian Governmeni» had felt impelled tq v legislate immediate'y to protect the citizens of'Australia 'against an invasion'whiotii was to be dreaded in 1 its effect on the labor market, and ion the, social and moral condition? of ; the people.' At the same time the Conference were anxious thnt Great Britain should negq-r tiate with, thai (>Uin»B« Government and if possible conclude a treaty with that country for the exclusion, from vhe Australian dolonißS Of. all Chinese, f except officials, travellers, tiierchahks, and students. ,By 'w'ay>of.assisting the Impeiial Government to give effect io this proposal the Conference recommended the aboli ion of the poll tax. The Conference believed that, existing lccAl'legislaiion was sufficient (6 accomplish the itittnediaie object, which was' ii'estL'iction, but would prefer lint exclusion be brought abuut by-m«ans'of international .agreement. , TheiGdiiference further desired,that the Imperial Government should induce 'the Governments of Hong'ko'ijg and the Straits Settlement'!' to at once prohibit emigration to the Australian colonies. .

The above embo'dies fclie,business of the Confe/ence, and'a'dj-tft Bill, giving effect to the above points, has been approved. Owners of vessels bringing Chinese in exceda of the number provided for by the Bill ar»> liable to a fioeof £SOO for, each passenger above the prescribed nifmber. '•'' A resolution was parried. unknioaoutly, pledging all the.polonies,: excepting/New' South .Western Australia,, introduce the draft Bill' approved/ by .the. Conference in the several legislatures, it being, ,undeis|qpd, that the two colonies 1 referred to should alter their Bills to inetst ; the general Bill of the Conference. The Conf«f«ince has now concluded its sittings. The Hon. Mr Oliver, the New Zealand delegate, did not reach Sydney in time to attend (the Conference. *' •• '