French Colonisation.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3851, 20 December 1882, Page 2

French Colonisation.

The desperate attempts of Fiance to rival Britain in ihe matter of colonisation would ba wholly ridiculous but for the admixture of tragedy and impending national troubles which arc associated with them. The expodition to Tunis, with tho subsequent attompt nt aunexution, wcro eulliciently farcical proceedings, but have as yet given riso to no curious complications, while the disasrous ending of the attempt by tho Marquis do Kays to colonise New lre'and is now fiudtug its scqui-1 in tho proseculiou oi the leader of the euterpriso fur gross incompetence and imposture. Hut tho anti-climax has surely been reached in the protcmions vow biiu<,' advanced by the Frooch Republic on the continent of Africa and in ihe island of Madagascar. In tho latter cas«, France lays claim to certain territory belonging to the Queen of Madagascar ; euvovs ftom the Queen havo been insulted in Paris and foiced to lice to London for protection ; ■pourparlers ha.\o bcon interchanged between Britain and France onthc action of tlic latter Powor; n French wa'-sliip has pone to Madagascar to uphold tho claim, Bud a British corvette has been sent to watch tha Frenchman, "i hero are hero nil the elements of a pretty quarrel, and all over sumc miserablo piece of dramatic treaty making by an unauthoiised traveller,

The claim to territory in Central Africa, advanced ou the authority of the treaty made by M. de lirazza with a Congo ehiwftain, is of a still more contemptible character. The- true siory of this treaty was recently told by Mr Henry M. Stanley at a banquet ill Paris. It seems thut d« Br»i!Z3, making a present of about ten shillings worth of beads to a chiuf, persuaded him to nllix hia mark to th"treaty" convoying tho sovoteiguty of hiterritory to tbo Frouch Kopublio, after which tricolor Hugs weio d'stiibuud, and tho "annexation" whs complete. M. dv Brazza erected n hut, and utylcd it Brazzaville, aud Mr Stanley returning that way from a journoy was astounded on being met by two men carrying French Ha^n, who politely told him tha* they were "instrue'ed to .show him evey courtesy while pasting through French torritory." This (dt spite thy tropi cal surroundings) must have struck Mr Stanley as paniculnily "coo 1," when he remembcr-id that at the moment he nas ou his own land, near his own quarttrg, for which ho bad paid th« native chiif honestly, instotd of swindling him with a few beads. Eveu tho ten shillings tx ponded on thc?o beads, Mr Stanley atserts, was not French moDey, but was pjrt if the funds providod by thu Intornationol Society in connactl-n with which both Stanley and dc Brazza were travelling. Finally it appears that de Brazza U nnt even a Frenchman, but an Italian naturalited in France. So that if the French Government seriously attempt to uphold the so-called treaty, they will placo themselves in a most humiliating position, in trying to take advantage of a fraudulent transaction by a foieigu adventurer, who**' reputation seems to bo none of tlio best. It mot likely that the British Government will view with complacency any overt act by Franco on tho Conga. They have an interest in thu territory lorjg prior to France, nnd all that do Brazza lus done has bcou to follow up tbe tracks of proceeding Briiish explores, and whiio Ilnr Majesty's Government may have no intention of claiming the land, they will doubtless icsent any attempt on the part of another Power to do fo, As "Imitation is tho sinccresi-. flattory," wo ought perhaps to apprcciato the compliment which France pays us in her colonising cftbiU; but it is quite another matter when she attempts to reap where wo have sowed, and to claim the reward where she has not htrsclt laboured. Tho proposed French protectorate of Tooquin, on Chinoo territory, v likely to prove another finsco. It hai alroady led to warlike preparations on the part of Ghin», and to serious dissensions in the French Ministry; and it is not yet clear but tbat the project will be pursued by France to its inevitable ending in disaster and disg'aof. We do not by any means claim for Britain a monopoly in the work of colonisation; but tho facts of experience plainly show tbat our countrymen are host adapted to bo tbo pioneers of frosh settlement; and juatas plainly tho teaching pf history is that Frenohmou are destined to fail in their endeavours to found colonies, or at best can only achieve a very indifferent and inglorious success.