The Wanganui herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY)

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 6644, 20 October 1888, Page 2

The Wanganui herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1888. FBESH ASPECTS. ♦ The London Times thinks Australia has set an example to America in dealing with the Chinese question ; but it has apparently mistaken the drift of public opinion in these colonies. The decision of the Victorian Appeal Court in the Leon Loy case is quite remote from public opinion, being no- more than the bare consideration of a question of law. The Times " declares (so runs the telegram) that all iovers of international fairplay will rejoice at the result, as it is conclusive evidence that the unreasonable excitement of some Australian politicians is net shared by the people." Anything more inconsequential than this statement it is impossible to conceive. What have the people to do with a question of dry law over which a Court of Judges expends its lore ? The Government, supported by an overwhelming majority of the representatives of the people, submit the question to the judges that the Uovernor has the constitutional right derived through the Crown to prevent the landing of aliens in the colony. That such a question was ever submitted at all shows the people to have been favorable to the exclusion of Chinese aliens. But that the Court decided adversely to the contention of the Government, shows no more than that as a question of law the contention cannot bo maintained. The policy of exclusion and the opinion of the people remain absolutely unaffected by the judgment. It is obvious that tho dispute has been as to what the law is, not as to what the law ought to be, for public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of exclusion. The next step to be taken by tho Government will be 10 declare or make the law. What the people want is a statute, and they will get it as soon as the Victorian Parliament has had time to legislate.

What is'meant by the term "international fair play ?" We think we know. When the discussion was at its height a few months ago, the Times solemnly proposed that tho colonies, in order not to embarrass the relations of the Mother Country with China, should make the law of exclusion applicable to all people. That is to say, that as far as immigration was concerned, we should treat Chinese the same as Englibh, Scotch, Irish, and Germans. But as this is simply absurd, wo do not see where tho " fair play " cornea in. Wo ask *to exclude the Chinese because they do not assume the duties, taxes, and responsibilities of colonists. This is in order to Bavo the British race from deterioration, and becure the civilisation of that race in the colonies a n ainst the encroachment of what euphemistically some are pleased to term Chinese civilisation. It is plain, then, that wo havo only to deal with the exclusion of Chinese, and not with the exclusion of Britons and Germans. The colonies have not to consider international law, but the safety of the colonising racp. The colonies never viewed with favour the cession of Port Hamilton \o China; and they are determined that, if England should elect at any future time to become a state under tho suzerainty and protection' of China, they will have neither part nor lot in the transaction, If England will crouch and fall, she must go down alone, for a Chinese population in the colonies ia not likely to facilitate her descent. We sco no reason why the colonies should at some future time become the vassals of a Chinese empire.

In South Australia the peopio have expressed themselves in the clearest manner in favour of exclusion ; but, be it told, tho Council or Upper House have so altered the Bill as to make it in favour of the introduction of Chineseinto the Northern territory. This is a question of supreme importance to the southern or settled portion of the colony. Once admitted into the territory adjoining the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Asiatics would soon overrun Australia. The people therefore of all tho colonies are deeply interested in their exclusion, and we fancy that the selfishness of Second Chambers, who have no other political ureed than cheap labour, will not prevail against tho will of the people. There is no part of tho broad territory of Australia the climato of which will provoiniinicftl to persona of the British race, engaged in mining or agriculture, and the the time is past when coloured labour, yellow or black, will be tho established order of things.

In New Zealand a temporary Bill was passed last session which wo think will meet the necessities of tho case, and as it expires at the end of next session, Parliament will do well to re-enact and make it permanent. The policy we recommend ia to effectually exclude the Chinese ; and, as far as dealing with thoso who aro in die colony, to always givo tho preforenco in trado to people with families. What we mean in plain terms is, that where n European has anything to sell, and has a family to support, ho should always be patronißed in preference to a Chinaman who has no family, If this policy wree carried out, and it is essentially just, we should soon hear very lictlo of tho Chinese difficulty. We think thp Premier, Sir Harry Atkinson, behaved very well over tho Chinese question last session, and he ought to receive the support of tho Opposition in facing tho matter in the same spirit, as ho is bound to do, next session.