THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 55, 10 March 1904, Page 3

THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

— — c THE " WHLI'E AUSTRALIA " QUESTION. MELBOURNE, This Day. In the Federal House the debate on the Address-in-Reply is proceeding. Mr Higgius ridiculed tbe criticism levelled against a ".White Australia " by Sir V. Swettenham, ex -Governor of tho Straits Settlements, and others, who weie entirely ignorant of Australian circumstances. In their protest against the introduction of Chinese into the Band the Government had boen altogether too ladylike, and had displayed an absence of that rough vigour displayed by Mr Seddon.' If it was right for Australia to interfere with tbe Transvaal when it was not a British possession it was surely right now, especially seeing that it had I not yet been granted self-government. ' In speaking to the Addrees-m-Reply Mr Kelly said the policy of oxcluding ' Lascars from the mail steamers was opposed to the best interests of the < Empire. Mr Webster said he did not i think Mr Deakin justified in cabling to England that Australia was strongly in f ivour of preferential trade, Mr BruceiSmith declared that if the Government • persisted in the Bonus Bill the Opposition would rovive the whole fiscal question, and fight it tooth and nail.