A WHITE AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 2603, 3 February 1904, Page 15

A WHITE AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE, February 1.

At the Australian Natives' annual banquet the new Governor-general (the Eight Hon. Lord Northcote) made his first speech in Australia. He had an enthusiastic reception.

The Hon. Mr DeaJkin, Prime Minister, in responding 'to the toast of " The Pai*liaxnent," dealt with the White Australia policy, and denied that it was a narrow, local, or selfish policy. It was based on principles which went to the ■very root of the Empire. Its maintenance, its strength, its progress was the very essence of Australian life. It gave to the people the amplest powers of selfgovernment, and it was absolutely inconsistent with the full exercise of those powers to permit the introduction of elements which could not be assimilated with our blood and our social life. Our Empire was a white Empire, and he had yet to learn that the doctrine of empire had ever been held to include the doctrine of fusion of the race with a crossbred nation. The ideal empire, as he understood it, was Ihat empire which was capable of maintaining existing societies and peoples within its sway, and dealing out justice to all. The ideal of JBrihiali otsi±asxnajasiltixt and fu*

best glory to which any nation hr.d been equal v/as justice to all its subject peoples. The Government askod that that policy should continue, for exporiencs had shown that justice was best ensured to other mixed races of the Empire in their own countries and under their own conditions of civilisation. Ho concluded by saying : "We want a white Empire, not kanakas at Bundahers;; we want white labourers, not Chinese, at Johannesburg ; we want white seamen, not lascars, on the steamers en our coasts."