[Editor: This article, regarding the Natal Immigration Restriction Bill, was published in The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), 23 September 1897. The Natal Immigration Restriction Act was subsequently used as the basis of the Australian Commonwealth’s Immigration Restriction Act, which formed the foundation of the White Australia Policy.]
Undesirable immigrants. The Natal Restriction Bill. Approved of by Mr. Chamberlain.
The Natal Restriction Bill.
Approved of by Mr. Chamberlain.
A copy of the Immigration Restriction Bill of Natal has been received by the Attorney-General. The Premier has stated that somewhat similar provisions to those contained in this measure might perhaps be carried out in dealing with aliens coming to Australia, in view of the opposition to the Aliens Restriction Bill passed by the New South Wales Parliament. Mr. Chamberlain has also expressed approval of the Natal measure, and intimated that it might be possible for like provisions to be adopted by Australia.
Under these circumstances, it will be interesting to give an outline of the Natal bill. It is therein provided that the Colonial Secretary or the Agent-General for Natal can give a certificate that an intending immigrant is a fit and proper person to be received as an immigrant into Natal.
Several exemptions are provided for, the principal one being contained in clause 3, which states “Immigration into Natal by land or sea, of any person of the class defined in the following sub-sections hereinafter called ‘prohibited immigrants’ is prohibited, viz., (a) any person who when asked to do so by an officer appointed under this Act shall fail to himself write out and sign in the characters of any language of Europe an application, to the Colonial Secretary in the form set forth in the schedule to this Act; (b) Any person being a pauper or likely to become a public charge; (c) any idiot or insane person; (d) any person suffering from a loathsome or dangerous infectious disease; (e) any person not having received a free pardon who has within two years been convicted of a felony or other infamous crime or misdemeanor, involving moral turpitude, and not being a mere political offence; (f) any prostitute and any person living on the prostitution of others.”
Other clauses provide that any such immigrant found in Natal in contravention of the Act is liable to be removed from the colony, or sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labor. Persons formerly domiciled in Natal are not to be regarded as prohibited immigrants. Wives and any minor children of any persons not being a prohibited immigrant are to be free from any prohibition under the Act. The liability on the master and owner of a ship for illegally landing immigrants is not less than £100, such penalty to be increased up to £5000 by sums of £100 each for every five prohibited immigrants after the first five, and the vessel may be made executable by decree of the Supreme Court, in satisfaction of any such penalty. It is further provided that any prohibited person cannot carry on a trade or calling in the colony.
Source:
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), 23 September 1897, p. 5
Also published in:
Pastoral Times (Deniliquin, NSW), 2 October 1897, p. 4
Editor’s notes:
Act = an Act of parliament, a law (in its written form, a law is called a “statute”)
See: 1) “Act of parliament”, Wikipedia
2) “Statute”, Wikipedia
bill = [see: Bill]
Bill = a proposed law, or an amendment to an existing law
See: “Bill (law)”, Wikipedia
Chamberlain = Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914), British politician; he was born in Camberwell (Surrey, England) in 1836, served as the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for the Colonies (1895-1903), and died in Birmingham (England) in 1914
See: “Joseph Chamberlain”, Wikipedia
charge = burden, liability, or load; duty or responsibility; care, custody, or supervision; regarding someone whose existence or livelihood requires that a person or organisation be put in charge of that someone (to look after them, to care for or provide for them, or to give them financial support)
idiot = a mentally retarded person; someone with the mental capacity of a young child; someone with low general intelligence; someone with a severe learning disability; a foolish, stupid, or weak-minded person
Natal = a British colony in south-east Africa, created in 1843 when the British took over the Natalia Republic (1839-1843, a Boer republic); in 1910 Natal became the Province of Natal, as part of the Union of South Africa
See: 1) “Colony of Natal”, Wikipedia
2) “Natal (province)”, Wikipedia
turpitude = behaviour of a base, depraved, immoral, shameful, vile, or wicked nature (i.e. behaviour that very much violates the generally accepted standards of the community), an act or instance of such behaviour; character of a base, depraved, immoral, shameful, vile, or wicked nature; commonly used in the phrase “moral turpitude”
viz. = (Latin) an abbreviation of “videlicet” (a contraction of the Latin phrase “videre licet”), meaning “it is permitted to see” (the “z” derives from the z-shaped Latin shorthand symbol for “et”, as used in the Tironian shorthand style); in actual practice, “viz.” is used as a synonym for “in other words”, “namely”, “that is to say”, “to wit”, or “which is” (used when giving further details about something, or giving a list of specific examples or items)
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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