GREAT BRITAIN AND COLONIAL LEGISLATION.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12509, 23 May 1906, Page 7

GREAT BRITAIN AND COLONIAL LEGISLATION.

SEQUEL TO THE PREMIERS' CONFERENCE.

PROPOSED REVISION OF IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION.

MR SEDDON PROTESTS. United Press Association—By Electric Telegrtiph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, May 22. The publication in connection with the Premiers' Conference in Sydney of papers dealing with tho ptpposal of the Balfour Government as to instructing the Australian Governments to reserve all Bills subjecting to disabilities, or excluding from privileges, natives of Asia, ! for the King's assent, came as a surprise to Mr Doakin, who says they were marked cdnfidential. Mr Deakin has made a protest against any curtailment of the rights of Australian Legisj iatures to pass such laws. j From the papers it is gathered that Mr Deakin telegraphed to Mc Garni thers, the Premier of New South AVaJes, who replied there would be no objection to the proposal of the Imperial G9vernment. Mr Seddon, howover, cabled to Mr Garruthers in protest, declaring that the whole tiling was unnecessary, as the King had pou era of disallowance, and he had reason to believe if the self-governing , colonies objected the despatch would be \ withdrawn. Mr Seddon added: "You will, i I hope, agree with mc, tliat there is one thing above all others that we should jealously guard, namely, 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 Sed- ' don was also of opuiion that the most objectionable feature about the whole j thing was the making of the instructions confidential by the Hon. A. Lytteltoq, the then Colonial Secretary. ; The Premiers' Conference discussed, tho subject, and decided to send the Hon. A. Lyttelton a draft of the Bill submission to the House of Commons, setting out wliat cl#ss of Bills should bo reserved for Imperial val. ; STATEMENT BY~MR DEAKIN, (Received May 23rd, 1.8 a.m.) MELBOURNE, May 22. Mr Deakin states in reference to Mf Lyttelton's, despatch on the question of vetoing Asiatic Aliens Bills, that sliioe the decision of the' Premier's Conference to submit a Bill to the Commons, the matter has been satisfactorily settled, but he refuses to disclose how tilm had been done.