AUSTRALASIA. 



which was already in force in local elections. At 

 the first meeting of the Federal Cabinet, on April 

 11, the suggestion of Mr. Chamberlain that Boer 

 prisoners should be sent to Tasmania was rejected. 

 The first Australian Parliament was declared 

 open at Melbourne on May 9 by the Duke of 

 Cornwall, who was present as the King's High 

 Commissioner. The Governor-General on May 10 

 outlined the proposed legislation. Parliament 

 had to constitute a high court with extensive 

 appellate jurisdiction; to create an interstate 

 commission for regulating affairs between the 

 states relating to trade and commerce, and espe- 

 cially in relation to railroads, with wide powers 

 of judicial administration, so as to secure the 

 interests of each state consistent with those of 

 the commonwealth; and to pass a public service 

 bill. The Government was taking steps to secure 

 territory for the Federal capital in a location 

 that was suitable in climate, accessibility, and 

 natural beauty. Among the measures to be 

 brought before Parliament were bills for restrict- 

 ing Asiatic immigration, for the diminution and 

 gradual abolition of the introduction of labor 

 from the South Sea islands, for conciliation and 

 arbitration in cases of industrial disputes extend- 

 ing beyond the limits of any one state, for uni- 

 formity in the patent laws, and for granting a 

 uniform franchise in all Federal elections by the 

 adoption of adult suffrage. The question of old- 

 age pensions would have to be postponed in view 

 of present financial conditions. Subjects requir- 

 ing legislation were banking, Federal elections, 

 navigation, shipping, and quarantine. Considera- 

 tion was being given to the best means of taking 

 over, converting, renewing, and consolidating the 

 public debts of the states. Regarding the tariff, 

 the ministers considered inadmissible any policy 

 tending to destroy the industries which the ex- 

 isting state tariffs had established, and that a 

 tariff giving fair consideration to this factor must 

 necessarily operate protectively as w r ell as for 

 the production of revenue. In regard to the rela- 

 tions of the commonwealth with the islands of the 

 Pacific, the ministers had taken such steps as 

 seemed prudent without embarrassing the inter- 

 national relations of the Imperial Government. 

 A railroad connecting the eastern states with 

 Western Australia was being studied, and it was 

 hoped that the project w r as feasible. A railroad 

 to the north would also become a matter of im- 

 rortance, and a proposal made by the Govern- 

 ment of South Australia for the surrender of the 

 Northern Territory was under consideration. 

 Steps would be taken as soon as practicable for 

 the judicious strengthening of the defenses of the 

 commonwealth, with the avoidance of extrava- 

 gant expenditure and the fullest reasonable reii- 

 ance upon the citizen soldiery. The services of an 

 able and distinguished officer would be secured 

 for the supreme command. Postal and telegraph 

 rates would shortly be assimilated, and as soon 

 as financial conditions permitted, universal penny 

 postage would be introduced. Interstate free 

 trade would be established simultaneously with 

 the imposition of the Federal tariff. In the debate 

 on the address the Queensland members brought 

 up the question of colored labor, and their amend- 

 ment requiring the immediate stoppage of the im- 

 portation of Kanakas was rejected. There were 

 about 9,000 of these Polynesians in the common- 

 wealth, all employed on the sugar plantations. 

 The question of excluding such laborers not only 

 affected the important sugar industry, but was 

 complicated with that of the relations of Aus- 

 tralia to the islands of the Pacific. Some mem- 

 bers recommended that Australia should declare 



an exclusive interest in all islands within 1,000 

 miles, but the Prime Minister deprecated discus- , 

 sion that might embarrass the policy of the Im- 

 perial Government. The colonies were agreed as 

 to the policy of restricting Chinese immigration. 

 Some advocates of a white man's Australia 

 would like to send away the 38,000 Chinese al- 

 ready settled in Australia, although in many 

 localities the disappearance of the Chinese market 

 gardeners would inflict much inconvenience and 

 temporary hardship. Of other colored races, ex- 

 cept the aboriginals, estimated at 200,000, whom 

 the state governments endeavored to protect and 

 preserve from extinction, there were only a small 

 number of Hindus and the Afghans who are em- 

 ployed in transporting goods by means of camels 

 in the arid regions of the interior. A motion requir- 

 ing vessels carrying mails to be manned by white 

 crews was rejected by the Government as con- 

 trary to existing contracts, but Mr. Barton prom- 

 ised in making future contracts to submit them 

 to Parliament. The Australian Government pro- 

 posed to take over the administration of New 

 Guinea, and, if possible, of the Solomon Islands 

 also. The Government of Tasmania objected to 

 the postal regulation bill introduced by Mr. Drake 

 because it contained a clause excluding from the 

 mails communications relating to racing lotteries, 

 or sweepstakes, which are legal in that colony. 

 The bill creating an interstate commission con- 

 tained important provisions affecting the business 

 of public carriers, shipping firms, and merchants, 

 both local and foreign. Sir John Forrest's de- 

 fense bill classified the entire male population in 

 three divisions: eighteen to thirty years of age; 

 thirty to forty-five years; and forty-five to sixty. 

 Except in times of emergency the defense force 

 will be kept up by voluntary enlistment. In case 

 of emergency the Governor-General has power 

 to call out any part of the defense force for serv- 

 ice anywhere within the limits of the common- 

 wealth. The permanent forces are liable in such 

 times to serve outside of the commonwealth, but 

 not the citizen forces unless they voluntarily agree 

 to do so. The Federal customs regulation bill 

 authorized the collection of duties on ships' stores 

 consumed by passengers and crews between tne 

 first port of call in the commonwealth and the 

 port of destination. Against this provision steam- 

 ship companies protested, and appealed to the 

 Imperial Government. Shipping representatives 

 objected also to a clause involving ship-owners in 

 responsibility after goods have been landed, and 

 overriding the customary contracts with shippers 

 e. Dressed in bills of lading. The tariff bill elabo- 

 rated by the Cabinet was expected to produce a 

 revenue of 8,700,000 per annum. 



A bill for the restriction of immigration con- 

 tained an educational test, such as has been 

 adopted in Natal and some other colonies. The 

 requirement that every immigrant should write 

 50 English words was intended to keep out Asiatic 

 immigrants. A proposal that immigrants from 

 Germany, France, and other European countries 

 be allowed to write in their own language was not 

 acceptable, as it drew a distinction between Euro- 

 pean and Eastern people. The bill contained pro- 

 visions against the entrance of idiots, insane per- 

 sons, recently released criminals, persons likely to 

 become paupers, and sufferers from infectious or 

 contagious diseases. It provided for the removal 

 from the commonwealth of immigrants of the 

 prohibited classes, and the cancellation at any 

 time of certificates of exemption. Masters or 

 owners of vessels introducing prohibited immi- 

 grants are liable to a fine of 100. Labor 

 members- asked for a measure directed in plain 



