Correspondence relating to Chinese immigration into the Australian colonies was po lished in London on the lst August.
"he following is Lord Salisbury's despatch on the subject to Sir John Walsham.
oreign Office, June 22, 1888.
Sir,—The Chinese Minister at this Court, a note dated the 12th of December last, called my attention to the position of Chinese subjects in certain of the Queen' colonies, and requested that an enquiry might be instituted into the laws enacted against them by some of the colonial Legislatures. The Chinese Commissioners, who had recently made inquiries in Australia, had reported to their Government that in -each of the.colonies visited by them a poll-tax of £10 is imposed on Chinese subjects, from which the subjects of other Powers are exempt, and that steps were being taken to enact'a similar measure in Tasmania, Lew Ta-jen protested against his country: "men being deprived of immunities accorded to them by the treaties and the law of nations, or to their being treated differently from the subjects of other Powers residing; in the same parts of Her Majesty's domi-
The Secretary of State for the Colonic Acstralasian colonies and the Governor-thereupon requested. the Governors of the General of Canada to furnish reports on ject of any exceptional legislation ing Chinese subjects in force in their respective jurisdictious* for could reach Tier Majesty's Government, Before the reports which had been called
information was received that there was considerable public agitation in Australia with respect to the influx of Chinese labourers, and that in New South Wales more restrictive measures were demanded than the £10 poll-tax and the limit of one immi-int to every 100 tons of shipping, which have been in force for some years past.
The recent conclusion of a treaty between China and the United States of America for the exclusion of labourers from China seems to have increased the feeling in Australia favour of more stringent regulations in the colonics of that continent, and the -working-classes are represented to be strongly opposed to any further introduction of Inbourers on a large scale, Chinese imanigrants are, it appears, objected to not july on account of their vast numbers and theircompetitionas wage-earners, but on the ground that they do not become assinuilated with the British population, and that they rarely, if ever, settle permanently as colonats, but, on the contrary, remain essentially aliens in manners, customs, and religion, and generally return to China when they have saved sufficient money in the colonies for their. wants in their native country.
At-a public meeting held at Sydney on the 27th of March it was unanimously resolved that the almost unrestricted influx of the Chinese into Australia will, if continued, threaten the political and social welfare of the colony, and that the time is id for the imposition of substantial fective restrictions on their further The meeting further declared its strong objection to any action of the Government of China in the assistance or encouragement of Chinese immigration into Australia, and it called upon Her Majesty's Government to maintain the right of the Australian colonies to frame such laws as they may consider necessary to insure in Australia the preponderance and supremacy of the British race.
While these representations and the question of communicating on the subject with the Chinese Government, were being considered by Her Majesty's Goverment, I received representations from the Chinese Minister in London calling my attention to telegrams which had appeared in The Times newspaper relative to the action rep.
have been taken by the colonial authorities of Victoria and New South Wales in order to prevent the lauding in' those colonies of Chinese immigrants who were being conveyed to Australia in a British vessel name the Afghan.
On inquiry it was ascertained that the action of the local Government in preventing the landing of Chinese subjects when prepared to pay the prescribed poll-tax been declared by the Supreme Court of New South Wales to be illegal, and all Chinese holding exemption tickets had been allowed to land; but that a number of the passengers on board the Afghan who were of Chinese origin had claimed to land in Victoria, not as subjects of the Emperor of China, but as naturalized British sub-fied and that they had not satisfied the auth that the naturalization spors which they produced had actually issued to bearers of them.
Her Majesty's Government are, as you well know, most anxious that all proper regard should be shown to the feelings of the Chinese nation, with which this country is happily on avery friendly footing, and that no measures should be adopted in the colonies that could be regarded sat variance with the treaty engagements between China and Great Britain, As Lhave already stated, regulations of more or less restricted character, and specially directed against Chinese immigra. tion, have been for some time past in force in the Australian colonies, and on the Sup-rome Court of New South Wales declaring the prohibition to land to be illegal, accordi to the laws of that colony, the colonial Legislature forthwith enacted further restrictive measures.
Ita 1d to Her Majesty's Government that this action on the part of New South Wales was prejudicial to the treatment of the question by negotiation with the Chinese Government.
With a view, therefore, to obviate further legislation to which the Chinese Government might take exception, it was pro-object should be fully and seed in ull its bearings by Her Majesty's colonial subjects.
With this object the Secrerary of State for the Colonies approved the meeting of a Conference of the representatives of Austra-asian Governments to consider the question. It met on the 12th inst. and two following days. The conclusions at which the representatives arrived are set forth in the telegram addressed to the Secretary of of State for the Colonies by the Governor of New South Wales. of which I transmit copy herewith.
They state that they are most anxious that Her Majesty's Government should enter into communication with the Government of China with a view to obtaining as soon as possible a treaty under which all Chinese, except officials, travellers, merchants, students, and similar classes, should be entirely excluded from the Australasian colonies.
By way of assisting to bring about such an understanding, the conference has recommended the abolition of the poll-tax now levied upon Chinese immigrants. As, however, the conference considers that the length of time which may be occupied in negotiations between the governments of China and Great Britain is uncertain, and the colonies in the meantime have reason to fa Large influx of labourers from China, the several Colonial Government feel themselves impelled to legislate immediately to protect their citizens against an invasion. which is dreaded by them because of its expected results, not only upon the labour market, but upon the social and moral condition of the people.
enclose copies of the resolutions of the Conference which have been embodied in a draft Bill, and I have to instruct you to place yourself without delay in comntunication with the Tsung-H Yamen, and urge upon them, with the explanations and arguments which, in your judgment, are most likely to further the object in. view, that, in pursuance of the considerations which T have described in this despatch. and which are more particularly set forth in the printed nce which I transmit herewith, inese Government should adopt, course sitnilar to that which they followed in the case of the United States, and enter into a Convention with Her Majesty's Government to the effect indicated in, the enclosed resolutions of the Conference held at Sydney.
Thave, eto, Sir J. Walsham, Bart, At No. 3, Garden Villas, Shanghai, on the 7th instant, the. wife of C. Hopcson, of son.
At 47, Broadway, on the 8th inst., the wife of E. W. Crements of a daughter (still born).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.