Mr. Balfour, who spoke at a meeting at Leamington on
Monday night, devoted the greater part of his speech to a defence of Chinese labour. If they were to carry out the " in- sane policy" of ejecting the Chinese insincerely advocated at by-elections, they would not only ruin the Mining industry, but destroy for this country one of those great Colonial markets on which the prosperity of British trade depended. The reception of Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman's announcement at the Albert Hall showed that the audience thought the 'Government were going to put an end to Chinese labour, but the Premier neither meant nor said that. The Government had won their by-elections on the cry of slavery, but they had no more notion of preventing the Colonies from carrying on the system than they had of resigning their offices the next day. Mr. Balfour, who was, or appeared to be, very angry, no doubt finds expressing indignation over the policy of the Govern- ment as regards Chinese labour much easier than explaining his Fiscal views, but he should not misrepresent his opponents. The Government's position was made quite clear in Lord Elgin's despatch. As long as the Imperial Government is directly responsible for the government and administration of the Transvaal, it will refuse to accept as part of that responsibility the sanctioning of Chinese indentured labour.
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