cuAP. Iv] IMMIGRATION OF COLOURED RACES 1099
made by the Aborigines Protection Society in favour of the
natives, who were it was said civilized, and would be in great
danger in going back to barbarous islands. This was borne
out in part by Mr. Woodford, the Resident Commissioner of
the Solomon Islands Protectorate, who pointed out in com-
menting on a petition presented to the Governor-General,
and sent to him for his observations, that in many cases the
natives having in Queensland contracted illegal marriages,
or violated tribal customs, would be in danger in case of
repatriation. Mr. Philp also, as Premier of Queensland,
suggested that Kanakas who had been a long time in the
Colony should be allowed to remain. The matter received
the careful consideration of the Imperial Government, but
they declined to interfere in a matter within the full discretion
of the Commonwealth Government, and as a matter of fact
the Commonwealth not only carried out the deportation
with all consideration, but also modified in 1906 (No. 22) the
Act of 1901, and allowed those who had really settled in the
country to remain there! The absence of the Kanakas has
been made good by the payment of large bonuses on sugar
produced by white labour.?
§ 6. Tee PRESENT Position
The record of the Imperial Government in the matter of
~oloured races is satisfactory; the principle laid down of
respect for treaties and for the rights of the Indian subjects
of the King are obviously sound, and while the restriction
on immigration is inevitable and in the interests of the
Empire, everywhere except in South Africa the principle is
being carried out that there shall be no discrimination
between the resident Indian and the European population,
and that even immigration shall not be prevented by direct
legislation ; it is significant that, despite all efforts, the
Commonwealth Parliament has hitherto declined to prohibit
mixed marriages,® and the Government of Western Australia
i See Parl. Pap., Cd. 1285, 1554; Commonwealth Parl. Pap., 1908, No.
L73 ; Turner, Australian Commonwealth, pp. 25, 33-5, 52, 141.
* See Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates, 1910, pp. 4261 seq.
¢ Mr, Murphy introduced a Bill for this end into the Western Australia
Parliament in 1910, but it was not passed. So Victoria Bills in 1910 and
