1088 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PART Vv
Bill was reserved and never became law. In 1898 that
Legislature inserted in a number of private Acts a clause
imposing a fine of four dollars a day for each Japanese or
Chinese person employed, and also passed a Labour Regulation
Act (c. 28) and a Tramway Incorporation Act (c. 44) for the
purpose of Japanese exclusion. The Japanese Government
protested, and the Imperial Government addressed the
Canadian Government on the subject, with the result that
the British Columbian Government asserted that it was
essential to preserve the province for white immigrants, and
asked that the Acts be allowed to stand.! But the Imperial
Government pressed not that the J. apanese should be allowed
to immigrate but that they should not be treated nominatim,
and thus stigmatized as undesirable, and the two public Acts
were disallowed accordingly by the Dominion Government.
In 1899 the Legislature passed a Liquor Licences Act (c. 39),
and a Coal Mines Regulation Act (c. 46), both of which
discriminated against Japanese, and the first also against
Indians ; both were disallowed. In 1900 it passed a Natal
Act {c. 11) and a Labour Regulation Act (c. 14) embodying
the language test, both of which were disallowed, a Liquor
Licences Act (c. 18) which differentiated against Mongols and
Indians, and a Vancouver Incorporation Act (c. 54), which
denied the same people the franchise. These two Acts were,
as the differentiation was very slight in either case, allowed
to remain in operation. In 1902 (cc. 34, 38, 48) and 1903
(ce. 12, 14, 17) Immigration and Labour Regulation and Coal
Mine Regulation Acts were disallowed. The Royal Com-
mission of 1902 reported against restrictions on J. apanese, be-
cause Japan had since August 1, 1900, restricted immigration
to British Columbia. If a change of policy took place, they re-
commended the passing of an Act on the Natal model. Tn 1904
an Immigration Act was disallowed (c. 26), and the same trio
as in 1902 and 1903 were disallowed (cc. 28, 30, 36) in 1905.
In January 1906 the Government of Canada acceded to
the Japanese Treaty under a special protocol accepting
* Canada Sess. Pap., 1900, No. 87 ; Provincial Legislation, 1896-8, p. 77;
1899-1900, pp. 104, 124 seq. ; 1901-3, pp. 80, 88; 1904-6, pp. 130. 137, 150.
