552

advanced with the utmost diffidence. The Maoris, who are popularly supposed to be the original natives of New Zealand, are quite a different race from the aborigines of Australia. They are gifted with a considerable amount of intelligence, are quick at imitation, and brave even to rashness.

Their numbers, as ascertained at various census periods, were as follow :

Females.

Total.

24,368

22,840

19,129

41,969

22,861

19,132

41,993

21,673

18,181

39,854

23,112

20,031

43,143

The figures for 1901 include 31 Morioris, who are supposed to be a branch of the same race as the Maoris. It is thought that both races came from the islands of the Pacific, but the Morioris preceded the Maoris by many years. They held possession? until the arrival of the Maoris, whose superior numbers enabled them to overcome the original possessors, and drive them from the mainland to the surrounding isles. and it is only in the Chatham Islands that a sma all remnant of their

race is left.

In the totals given for 1896 and 1901 there are included 3,503 and 3,123 half-castes respectively, who were living as members of Maori tribes. It is said that when New Zealand was first colonised, the number of Maoris was fully 120,000; but this, like all other estimates of aboriginal population, is founded on very imperfect in formation. So far as the above table shows, their number has been almost stationary during the last twenty years; in fact, during the last quinquennial period there was an increase of 3,289 persons.

ALIEN RACES.

is the

The number of aliens in Australasia at the time of the census q annot be ascertained, as only in New South Wales and Queensland wa information shown. The figures for these two States wer

These figures show that the aliens number 10.95 per 1,000 of the population, exclusive of aborigines, in New South Wales, and 47.59 per 1,000 in Queensland. In the other States the proportions would not be so large, as the employment afforded by the sugar industry is responsible for the introduction of the Pacific Islanders to Queensland in such large numbers, and to a considerable extent for the influx of Hindoos into New South Wales.

The further immigration of Pacific Islanders to Australia is now restricted by the Pacific Islands Labourers Bill. This Act is particularly directed against the continued employment of these aliens on the sugar plantations, and under its provisions only a certain limited. number will be allowed to enter Australia up to the 31st March, 1904. After that date their further immigration is prohibited, and all agreements for their employment must terminate on the 31st December, 1906, when any Pacific Islander found in Australia will be deported.

The influx of Hindoos and other Eastern races has long caused a feeling of uneasiness amongst the people of Australia, and restrictive legislation was already in force in some of the States prior to federation. One of the first measures passed by the Federal Parliament was the Immigration Restriction Act, which provides for the exclusion of any person who, when asked to do so, fails to write out and sign a passage of fifty words in a European language specified by an officer of the Customs. The Act does not apply, however, to persons in possession of certificates of exemption, to His Majesty's land and sea forces, to the master and crew of any public vessel of any Government, to any person duly accredited by any Government, to a wife accompanying her husband if he is not a prohibited immigrant, to all children under 18 years of age accompanying their father or mother if the latter are not prohibited immigrants, or to any person who satisfies an officer of the Customs that he has been formerly domiciled in the Commonwealth. The number of Chinese in the various States had increased so rapidly prior to 1880 that it was deemed expedient by the Governments to enact prohibitive laws against the immigration of these aliens, and their migration from one State to another. For several years a poll-tax of £10 was imposed, but this was not considered sufficiently deterrent, and in New South Wales, in accordance with the most recent legislation on the subject, masters of vessels are forbidden under a heavy penalty to bring more than one Chinese to every 300 tons, and a poll-tax of £100 is charged on landing. In Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia no poll-tax is imposed, but masters of vessels may bring only one Chinese to every 500 tons burden. The Western Australian Act was similar to that in the three last-named States until recently, but has now been superseded by the Coloured Immigrants Restriction Act. Tasmania allows one Chinese passenger to every 100 tons, and imposes a poll-tax of £10. In New Zealand an Act similar to the Tasmanian Act was in force until 1896, when the poll-tax was raised to £100, and the number of passengers restricted

to one for every 200 tons burden. These stringent regulations have had the effect of greatly restricting the influx of this undesirable class of immigrants, and at the census of 1901 they numbered only 36,088, as against 42,521 ten years previously. The following table shows the number of Chinese in each State at the five last census periods :

The decrease in the Chinese population will be more apparent when it is stated that in 1901 they only numbered 7.94 per 1,000 of the population in Australasia as against 11.16 in 1891.

NATURALISATION.

The Acts relating to the naturalisation of aliens do not differ very materially in any of the states. In New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and New Zealand aliens may hold and acquire both real and personal property, but may not qualify for any office nor have any rights or privileges except such as are expressly conferred upon them, while in Queensland and Tasmania they may hold personal property, but lands for twenty-one years only.

In every state except New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland every alien of good repute residing within the state who desires to become naturalised may present a memorial signed by himself, and verified upon oath, stating his name, age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and length of residence in the state, and his desire to settle therein, together with all other grounds on which he seeks to obtain the rights of naturalisation, and apply for a certificate, which the Governor may grant if he thinks fit. After the letters of naturalisation have been received and the oath of allegiance taken, the holder becomes entitled to all the privileges which are conferred upon subjects of His Majesty. In New South Wales it is insisted that the applicant must have resided there for at least five years before he can be naturalised, and he must present, together with his own statutory declaration stating his name, age, birthplace, occupation and residence,

a like declaration of some other person as to his term of residence in the state; in South Australia six months' residence is compulsory, while in Queensland an Asiatic or African alien must be married and have his wife living in the state, and must have resided in the state for three years, when he must present a similar memorial to that cited above. If the application is granted, he becomes entitled to all privileges except that of becoming a member of the Legislature.

In all the states any alien woman marrying a natural-born subject becomes and is deemed to be naturalised, and any person resident in the state who has obtained a certificate of naturalisation in any British possession, and who presents such certificate, and further satisfies the Governor that he is the person named in the certificate, and that such was obtained without fraud, may be granted a certificate of naturalisation without any further residence in the state being required of him.

The rights of naturalisation are refused the Chinese in some of the states, viz., New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. Germans have availed themselves most largely of the privileges,, having taken out about one-half of the certificates granted. The number of naturalised persons in New South Wales at the census date was 3,619, of whom 3,265 were males and 354 females. Of this total no less than 1,512 males and 218 females were Germans, representing nearly 47 per cent. of the whole number. The information is not available for any of the other Commonwealth states; but in New Zealand the number of naturalised persons was 4,672.

The number of persons naturalised in Australasia during 1900 was 1,929, distributed amongst the various states as follows :—

556

EDUCATION.

IT T would have been strange if communities so prosperous as the Australasian States had neglected to provide for the education of the children. This duty, so vitally affecting the welfare of the people, has been recognised as one of the most important which the State could be called upon to discharge. In every province of the group, ample provision has been made for public instruction-such provision, indeed, in some cases, extending far beyond what has been done in most of the countries of the old world. In addition to a system of primary education, in all the states there are grammar and high schools, by means of which those who have the desire may qualify for the higher studies of the University. So bountiful is the provision made by the State that in most cases the cost of education is merely nominal, and the poverty of the parents ceases to be an excuse for the ignorance of the children. It is true that in the very early days of colonisation but little attention was paid to education; but so soon as the sharp struggle for bare existence was over, attempts were made to provide means of instruction for the rising generation, and the foundations were laid of an educational system that is in the highest degree creditable to these young communities. The religious bodies were naturally the first to build schools and provide teachers; but there was always a large proportion of persons who objected to denominationalism, principally those who belonged to denominations which were not subsidised by the State; hence there arose a national or non-sectarian system, which has in the course of time almost monopolised the educational field.

In all the Australasian provinces the State system of education is secular. Compulsory clauses find a place in the Acts of the various states; but the enforcement of these is not everywhere equally strict. In Victoria, for example, compulsory attendance at school has been rigorously insisted upon, while in Queensland the principle of compulsion has been allowed to remain almost in abeyance, and in the other states it has been enforced with varying degrees of strictIn Victoria, Queensland, New Zealand, Western Australia, and South Australia the primary education provided by the State is entirely free of charge to the parents; in New South Wales and Tasmania

ness.