THE UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS BILL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2886, 26 October 1895, Page 3

THE UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS BILL.

Unless unusual efforts are put forth the Undesirable Immigrants Bill has been shelved. How it came about was as follows:—AB the Ministers happened to be in the House, according to the Otago Daily Times, and then Messrs R. Thompson and Bucha’na fell to irrelevant talk, more or less as though to kill time, and the Chairman (Mr Guinness) as a bitter opponent oi the Bill, seemed nothing loth. Indeed, he gave a free rein throughout, and from this point to the luncheon adjournment jests and points of order consumed the time. "When the House resumed at 2 30 an unexpected development took place. There were no Ministers in the House, and Mr Buchanan, who was in possession of the chair, laughingly suggested that the Government whips should take charge of the Bill, and then suddenly moved that the Chairman leave the chair. The motion was put forthwith, with a chorus of “ Ayes ” responding, while not a single 41 No ” was to be heard. “ The ‘ Ayes ’ have it,” announced the Chairman, but at this moment the Premier rushed in and shouted “Sir.” He apparently did not know exactly how things stood, but seemed to think that all that was necessary was a speech to keep the ball rolling till the Minister for Education arrived. Amid numerous protests the Chairman ordered the division bell to be mn tr. He admitted that he declared for the “ Ayes,” but the Premier had aferwards called for a division, and it was customary to allow a vote to be taken under such circumstances. However, the division did not improve matters, for it resulted in the the Bill being killed by 22 to 15—a singularly thin House. The announcement was received with applause and laughter, while the Premier with anger, real or feigned, stated that it only meant that he would reintroduce the Bill. “ Next session,” interjected several members. But to these the Premier only savagely shook his head, and so the Asiatic alien and other prohibited persons have disappeared for another session. . . The Asiatics and Other Immigration Restriction Bill is not after all quite dead, but is to be brought up again in a more mild and less objectionable form. Mr Reeves gave notice that he would move for the reinstatement of the measure, but a little later on the Premier threw some further light upon the intentions of the Government by stating in his most conciliatory tones that something ought to be done to preserve our race, and he thought the House would not Object to the Bill if it was confined entirely to Asiatics and lunatics. This, no doubt, is the result of to-day’s defeat, and the request of many members of the party that the Bill should be confined to these two classes of immigrants.