342
AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 26, 1901.
CRISIS: TELEGRAMS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
SHANGHAI, 24th October, 10.25 p.m. Yung Lu has sent a secret despatch to Li Hung-chang, in which he states that the Empress Dowager strongly desires that China should frateraise with Russia, who promises to prevent foreign aggression and to protect her at Peking.
appendices referred to therein. The result anyone else but the Imperial Government. THE of the committee's investigations has been They would be worse than foolish to disregard to decide that legislation in the direction the Imperial relations with British allies, of compulsory registration is impracticable. since they could only do so under the pro- It remains to be seen whether the matter tection of the British fleet. The debate was will rest here, after thirty years of inter- vigorously kept up by the opposition, but mittent agitation.
details of its termination have not yet I reached 118. A telegram dated London, 2nd October, states that the House of Repre- sentatives bad adopted the clause in the Immigration Restriction Bill prohibiting the entry into Australia of under contract to perform manual labour, while the education test had been amended to include any European language. So far matters in connection with this very import- ant question have gone. It remains to be seem what will be the action of the Imperial Government, and it is unnecessary to point out again what a strong bearing on the future this action will have.
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:
any person
YUNNAN RAILWAY.
Li Hung-chang, the despatch continues, must promptly conclude the Manchurian treaty, relying on Yung Lu's support against the Southern Viceroys.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on the 21st inst. in the Council Cham- ber. Present:—
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master).
(Daily Press, 25th October.) The complication which has arisen over the apparent conflict of Australian and Imperial interests, with regard to legislation as to coloured aliens, is a distinctly awkward one, The restriction of Asiatic immigration is no longer as simple a matter as it was before Japan had risen to the status of a World Power. The Tokyo Government how stands in the position of being able to protest, and to protest with effect, against action directed against be subjects. All Powers with in- terests in the East are concerned in main- taining friendly relations with the newest FRENCH COLONIALS AND THE BLAKE, G.C.M.G.). arrival among the ranks of great nations.' and none more so than Great Britain. Every portion of the British Empire there. fore is bound to see that no obstacles are put in the way of a thorough understanding between that Empire and Japan. The attempt of British Columbia to exclude Japanese has only just failed when a still greater difficulty has risen in Australia. It appears from recent telegrams that the Commonwealth Senate by a small majority at the beginning of this month ratified the action of the House of Representatives in prohibiting coloured labour on mail steamers a vote followed by cheers for white Australia." Japan, it is reported, has threatened retaliation, in the shape of with drawing her mail service with [Australia, should this Post Office Bill and the Immi. gration Restriction Bill be enacted; and policy. The main point lies in the fact
(Daily Press, 24th October.) The issue of the Courrier Saigonnais for the 16th October contains a report of a speech by Mr. PAUL BLANCHY, President of the Conseil Colonial and Mayor of Saigon, delivered on the occasion of his elevation once more to the presidency of the Conseil. The speech is interesting as containing a very vigorous denunciation of the Yunnan railway scheme, so dear to the heart of the
Governor-General of Indo-China and other French colonial expansionists, but so dis- tasteful to the mass of French residents in Indo-China. We regret that we have not BLANCHY's remarks, for they are marked the space to reproduce some by evident sincerity, and fairly represent the case of the opposition to M. DOUMER'S
of Mr.
Hon. C. McI. MESSER (Acting Colonial Treasurer),
Public Works).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Acting Director of
Hon. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General), Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD. Hon. J. THURBURN. Hon. J. J. BELL IRVING. Hon. Dr. Ho KAI.
Hon. WEI A YUK.
Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Acting Clerk of Councils).
REGISTRATION OF CHINESE PARTNERS, The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Partners. a paper dealing with the Registration of Chinese
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minute No. 63, and moved that it be
I wish to point out that the minute has been increased by $600, and that the total now is $3,300 instead of $2,700.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table
there is no doubt that she might well adopt that M. DOUMER has pledged 356,000,000 | referred to the Finance Committee. He said- stronger measures. More important still would be the ill-feeling engendered, which francs, that is to say seven times the budget of the whole of Indo-China, to the further- might have no little effect on international
ance of his scheme, and we need hardly relations in the Far East. Australiau
wonder therefore that the outery in the papers to hand within the past week bring French colony has been so great. M. particulars of the debate in the House of
DOUMER on his recent visit to France swept the Report of the Finance Committee (No. 12), Representatives over the Restriction Bill. In the course of this debate the Australian out of his ideas seemed certain. It appearsed, and the motion was carried.
his hearers away with him, and the carrying and moved its adoption. Premier dwelt on the Imperial side of the question. He quoted Mr. CHAMBERLAIN's now, however, that the matter is not settled vet. The latest news is that a Commission speech, maintaining that while it admitted of Enquiry is leaving France for Indo-China the right of the Colonies to prevent the intrusion of nuplesirable immigrants it de to examine more fully into the railway precated the drawing of a colour lin" question. This was rumoured unofficially weeks ago, but the official con- Mr. REID's Coloured Races Restriction Bill
firmation of the report is only an-
some
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER second-
REVISION OF STATUTE LAW. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, in the
unavoidable absence of the Hon. the Attorney- General, I beg to move the third reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance for promoting the
Revision of the Statute Law by repealing Enactments which have ceased to be in force or
ments in various Ordinances.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER second-
in New South Wales in 1896, he said, did younced in our Saigon contemporary of have become unnecessary and by making Amend.
This
passed.
THE LAW RELATING TO BUILDINGS. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, in the absence of the Hon. the Attorney-General, I beg to move the third reading of the Bill en- titled An Ordinance to further amend the Law relating to Buildings.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER second-
MERCHANT SHIPPING CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE.
not receive the Royal assent simply because the 16th instant, which observes: it contemplated the establishment of the
"news, more than any other measure, willed, and the Bill was read a third time and colour or racial line. Mr. BARTON then bring (and it was high time) a little relief went on to say that the House had to
“to the minds of Frenchmen in the Colony consider the fact that there was an ultimate
and encouragement to those whose spirits power in the Empire, by virtue of its trus
were troubled by the lense allowed reeship, to veto any legislation that might
"to snel arbitrary conduct, exaction, and be thought detrimental to either any portion
M. DOUMER is a very folly." Of course, or any external interests of the Empire unpopular man with the French residents While the Australian Commonwealth's con- of Tado-China, so that it will not do hastily ed, and the Bill was read a third time and stitution was the freest and widest known, it was yet to be remember that the Gov. to conclude that whatever is said by them passed.
about and against him is true.
We may ernor-General must always have in his nevertheless he sure that genuine satisfac- mind the necessity of consulting Imperial tion is felt at the latest announcement, interests. He relied on the good sense of which shows that this mad scheme," as its the House of Representatives to be as care- ful to preserve the relations between the opponents call it, is not such a matter of course as it appeared to be. The report of Commonwealth and the Empire free from!
the Commission of Enquiry will be awaited friction as they had when acting for their!
with much interest. several states. The Australian Governor- General in a despatch dated the 14th May
A London telegram of the 10th October to last had expressed the hope that no legisl the Osuka Maiichi says:-The Times regards tion would be introduced calculated to the situation in Manchuria as having improved embarrass the home Government. Conclud- and believes that Russia intends to restore the ing, the Premier asserted that they were Nowchwang-Shanhaikwan Railway and likewise studying not Japanese and Chinese the port of Newchwang.
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The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, in the absence of the Hon. the Attorney-General. I beg to move the third reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend The Merchant Shipp- ing Consolidation Ordinance, 1899 (Ordinance 36 of 1899).
/
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
THE SUPPLY BILL, The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the third reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to apply a sum not exceeding Three million Seven hundred and Thirty-nine thousand Seven
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