NATURALISATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5726, 23 October 1905, Page 4

NATURALISATION.

The member for Masterton, out of tho goodness of his heart, asked the. Government recently to “consider the desirability of securing for aliens naturalised as British subjects within tho colony the rights of naturalisation throughout the British. Empire.” There are, it appears, many Europeans and Americans, some 2000 in all, who, though British subjects by natuiajisa,’

t-ion in New Zealand, arc aliens in every other part of the Empire, unable to acquire freeholds, and without any of the other rights of citizenship. Those would, of course, like the anomaly—for it is an anomaly—to ho ended by the extension of their New Zealand status to tho rest of the Empire. But this would involve reciprocity for the rest of tho Empire, and it would follow that a British subject of naturalisation in any part of tho Empire would bo entitled to tho same status in New Zealand. In that case, every Chinaman | naturalised in any of the King’s Asiatic dominions would have tho right to enter Now Zealand in tho teeth of any law to tho contrary. Naturally, the Government replied to tho member lor Mastorton that it £>rcferred the law as it is.

It is, perhaps, not generally known that there was, some sixteen years ago, a proposal to make naturalisation general throughout tho Empire. In 1899. a Royal Commission, after examining into tho whole question of naturalisation, advised tho British Government that any colonial Governor should have tho power of granting citizenship on the English conditions—a cash payment of £5, and a residence of five years—to any alien for the whole Empire. Tho Colonial Office, however, did not feel disposed to act, having become careful in such matters. A naturalisation law of this kind would assuredly not bo accepted by any of tho colonics that have adopted restrictive legislation to exclude undesirable aliens from their shores. Hence it would be unwise on our part to propose any change that would strike at the root of these restrictions. Our Government might well entertain a proposal for Imperial naturalisation in tho case of nil persons of European race; and the question is one that may bo commended to tho coi eideration of the next Conference of Colonial Premiers.