THE INTERCOLONIAL CONFERENCE AND THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 36, 14 February 1881, Page 3

THE INTERCOLONIAL CONFERENCE AND THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Sydney papers to hand contain a copy of the remonstrance which the Intercolonial Conference adopted against the action of Western Australia for the introduction of Chinese to that colony at the public expense. As a preliminary explanation, the Conference points that the computed population of the six colonies represented by the signatories is over 2,500,000, while the population of tho Crown colony of Western Australia is under 30,000 souls. The delegates having thus established the fact that they represent an enormous majority of the oolonists, proceed to show, by citing the aotions of the various Legislatures, that in all the six colonies a strong feeling prevails in opposition to the unrestricted introduction of Chinese, the opposition arising principally from a desire to preserve and perpetuate the British type in the various populations, and refer to the resolution already agreed to by the Conference recommending restrictive legislation. The remonstrance proceeds: — " We are satisfied that the publication of the fact that the Government of Western Australia is employing the public revenue for the introduction of natives of China to occupy the various avenues of labour— a course never at any time adopted by any of the colonies under Parliamentary government— will create throughout the rest of Australasia a strong feeling of publio disapprobation. The objection to the Chinese is not altogether one of prejudice of oolour or race, but is founded in a rational view of the dangers to these British communities which might in the course of time flow from a people numbering more than 400,000,000, whose language, laws, religion, and habits of life are alien to those of her Majesty's subjeots in Australasia, and whose geographical position makes the danger more imminent. If Western Australia persists in her policy it cannot fail to engender among the people of the other colonies a sense of publio injury and of resentment, and it is almost certain to lead to the enactment of lawß imposing restrictions on communication between her ports and the other Australasian ports. It cannot be expeoted that the people who object to receiving Chinese immigrants direct from China will Bubmit to their arrival by way of Western Australia." For these reasons the Conference expresses an earnest hope that her Majesty's Government will take such steps aB may be deemed expedient to procure a reversal of the action of the Western Australian Government.