THE LOBBIES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH,OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1398, 18 June 1881, Page 2

THE LOBBIES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH,OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

A Punt at Huntley. i Wellington, Lash Night. To-day Messrs Whitaker .and Whyte waited on the Minister for Public Works with a petition from 127 settlers at Huntley, praying that a punt be placed on the Waikato. ' The application is likely to be granted, as it forms the continuation of a road opening Up a valuable tract of Crown land territory. The members are likewise exerting themselves to get a punt on the river at Churchhill. It was urged that these two roads are made to the river bank, but no meaus are provided for crossing to the railway.

Refund, to the Piako County.In complying with a request from the Chairman of the Piako County Council, Mr Whyte interviewed the Government relative to a refund of £200 spent on public works within the county on the strength of a letter from Government to the county, dated May 20th. After discussion it transpired that the letter undertook to pay £ for £ up to £200, and not to refund expenditure to the extent of £200. In that case, £400 must be expended before the refund can be claimed from the Government of £200.

The Bridge at Te Aroha. The erection of a bridge over the Thames at Te Aroha, and the maintenance of the main road in Piako have been engaging attention, and it is probable both will be attended to.

The Hamilton Traffic BridgeSurprise is felt that the petition re free- | ing the Hamilton bridge has not yet been ' received.

Local Public Works. At the sitting to-day, Mr Whyte gave notice that he would ask if it was the the intention of the Government to introduce this session the Local Public Works and Local District Bills.

The Thames Railway. The tenders for the Alorinsville section of the railway were considered to-day in Cabinet. Lovett's (of Hamilton) tender was the lowest, viz., £3494 Os Sd, and was accepted, subject to the provision that the schedule is in due form, &c, the schedule having been lodged in the Auckland office. For the Kopu contract, the tender of J. McDennott. £1489, and was accepted subject to the schedule being in due form.

Mr Whitaker on the Chinese Question. Thefollowingspeech was delivered by Mr Whitaker lastnight on the Chinese question and was much applauded: — "In lny opinion there is a far deeper principle underlying the question of Chinese immigration than the mere question of employment of labour, or an increase of of what is called capital. The underlying question is this : whether avc want that a civilization which has caused us a'race like the Anglo-Raxon to spread all over the world ; which has erected institutions in every part of the world, and which formed a model for constitutions m many lands, shall be brought into contact with partial civilization, which has lasted three thousand years without any ostensible progress, and which seems utteriy incapable of giving further progress to human minds. There is no doubt whatever that our kind of civilization is progressing, and that the Chinese civilization is stationaiy. Any person who has read the theories advanced by Confucius three thousand years ago knows that the Chinese were then much enlightened, if not more so than at the present time. It is the contact of these two civilisations that we want to avoid. The one civilisation, which is in our immediate vicinity, has 360 millions of inhabitants, while we are only commencing to found a uation. Here wo have only half a million people, and the danger is that bye-and-bye. when a sufficient number of Chinese have been here and returned home to tell their neighbours what can be done, immigration will be increased to such an extent that our civilisation will be obliterated. Two arguments have been adduced by those m opposition to the bill. One was adduced by the members for Raugitikei and Waimafce ; that was the question of treaties, I am one of those who hold veiy strongly to the view that the great British Empire ought to be consolidated as much as possible, and that the members of it should work in harmony, but I am not one ot those who are prepared to sacrifice a great principle like this winch I would maintiau — at the price of separation from the Old Country. Although Ido not believe that this measure is likely to produce such an effect, it is certain fiom the steps the Home Government has taken on this question with regard to Queensland that it will recognise the right of the people of tho colony to legislate for themselves and will repeal anything that stands in the way of oar doing so. It is not likely that into Great Britain itself there would be any great immigration of Chinese ; the great distance would prevent that ; but here we are at the very door of the Chinese, and we ought to have a different kind of Treaty, or else wo ought to remain an exception to the existing treaties. If I am correctly informed in reference to the free ports of China the Chinese make up plots for each nationality— an English plot, a French plot, and co forth. To these plots foreigners, as Chinese call them, are strictly confined. They are not allowed to enter into tho interior of the country, or to pass out of these plots at various times when there are commotions in the city. If tlie Chinese question weru simply confined to the point as to whether China should have free access to our ports for their trade and we to theus, it would be quite a different matter ; but in a free country like this the moment a Chinaman comes here he is part of the community : he can travel throughout the country ; he has access to every part of it, and he has an opportunity of spreading his own ideas as to civilisation among the people of tiiis country ; so there is no reciprocity about it at all. So much for treaties. I do not intimate religious objections. Another argument is that Chinese immigration is necessary in order to have ciieap labor for the creation of capital. I differ entirely with those who hold these views. I do so upon one broad principle — I differ with them as to what the wealth of a nation is. It is probable that those gentlemen belong to a school of political economy which considers that we all must be judged in proportion to the accumulation of specie ; in this country they consider that accumulation of money and specie is the wealth of a nation. That ia one scjiool of political economy. I belong to the other school which believe that the wealth of a nation consists in having the greatest number of its inhabitants enjoying the largest amount of prosperity. I am not prepared to introduce a number of foreigners with the manners, habits, and customs of the Chinese,* for the purpose of making a few men rich, and who will drive away from the country its real bone and sinew. I know that some persons may get up and say this is claptrap, but! say it is a great principle whioh has been mu^li discussed of late years, and which is gradually coming more before the public, that the w;ealth of a Stato'doa* not consist in the acc'umulatioji 6fgpeoie"Bufcia 6h« greatonb anabunt of uapjnqesti of the jjceatest number of Us

But then if we come to this question of wealth in respect to accumulation of money alone, what more do we want than the wealth Great Britain has accumulated. There are many millions of accumulated wealth there made by the country, the bone and sinew of the Anglo-Saxon race and not by the introduction of Chinese or any foreign race. The returns show that we are already progressing ,v,ery materially in the direction of accumulated wealth in the country, entirely by our own efforts. I thiuk we are progressing quite fast enough, without attempting to hurry it by means of this objectionable) form of -immigration. Again any person who has attempted to follow the history of-the*€)binese* immigration in SanrFrancisoo and Melbourne must be satisfied that there is some sound , argument and not claptrap in aaying that the (Chinese do introduce hitherto fjunknown moral and social physical -diseases amongst us.