CHINA AND THE COLONIES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 288, 18 April 1889, Page 2

CHINA AND THE COLONIES.

Sydney. April 17. Mr Quong Tart has returned here from China, where he had an interview with the Viceroy. He believes that a special representative will be sent to Australia to confer with the colonial governments.

In reference to the Chinese trouble we are possessed of interesting information from a reliable source.

The reports which have been circulated in the colony about the Chinese having been called home are all nonsense; but in other respects the trouble has a very serious aspect, and colonists will need to be careful that they do not further aggravate it. There is now in six years time China shall be prepared with twenty new men-of-war to assert her rights.

This Black Flag leader proposes, if things are not satisfactorily settled, to acquire possession of Hong Kong, and also drive the French out of Tonquin. They could easily get together from two to twenty million of men, or more, for this purpose, or for more extensive operations. The Chinese in all parts of the colonies or abroad are bound to return to their country if ordered by the Emperor. A very hard case that has come under our notice is that of three Auckland Chinamen. They have for some time been wanting to get back to their country, but find ; they cannot leave this colony. They are not allowed to go by the Union boats, and their only chance of getting away from New Zealand is by waiting for a tea ship to arrive from China. Whatever our ideas may be on the question of allowing Chinese to enter the colonics, it is certainly a grave blunder, altogether opposed to th, spirit of any Britisher, that they should not be able to leave the colony if they so desire. Laws that enforce their detention in the colonies are an outrage on all principles of equity. In Auckland the other day a Chinaman complained that his countrymen assaulted him because he had interpreted in some recent cases before the Court there. We are informed that this man undertook to interpret and that he was not competent to do so, so that it is no wonder his action provoked illfeeling. We hold our own strong opinions on the Chinese question, but they are entitled to fair play, which no true Britisher would deny them.