The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1884.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4315, 17 March 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1884.

For the cause that lacks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The statement made in our cablegrams, on the authority of the "St. James's Gazette," that the British Government intend prohibiting the Messageries Maritimea Company's steamers from callijig. at Australian ports unless the French Government abandon the French Recidivistes Bill, will be received with great incredulity in the colonies. The control of these ports is not within thfl province of the Imperial authorities, and any proposal of the sort would have to come merely as a recommendation to tho several colonial Governments. The criticisms of various Parisian newspapers, however, show that some importance hag been attached to the rumour, and the possibility of retaliatory measures cannot appear so yery improbable to the French mind, Australia has lately prevented unconvicted Irish informers from landing on its shores, and why not Frenchmen ? We take it that the statement in the " St. James's Gazette" is thrown o.ujb as a hint, for the benefit of colonistsandFrenchmen, of the reprisals that are at the disposal of colonista if France persist in an unfriendly policy. Without pretending to express any opinion upon the wisdom of the proposed edict against the only French Ulje flf sfceamer3 that has endeavoured to open hp a regular South Pacific trade, we feel no. reserye Jn stating that the sugges.tlon is well worthy °* consideration. Ridiculous as it may seem to measure the strength of the colonies against a great Power like France, we venture to think that the European Republic gains more from the Anglo-Saxon communities in those soas than the colonies can possibly Jose by French displeasure, and that it js yery largely fn the power of tho Australasian coionie>s ifco cripple French trade in %# Soujth Pacific ft they unitedly bend their r,?iijd» upon the task, The email interests at present held by France in the goujbhesn seas #re insufficient po sustain $' y purely commercial venture, and Australm has only to turn the legislation of theseveraj colonies against Frenph ships and French manufactures ■of every description to, destroy that commerce in tho afif 10And why should Australia afford facilities for any country to play so unfriendly a part towards her ns that proposod under tt^9 •proposed low for the liberation pi crirninafs £o jiiiundate thefe qujet communities with tno rjflf-rp/T of Europe? We betieyothatthe proper course for tho colonies Franco enter upon the iJQjjcy threatened undfii' ti}§ Recidivistes Sill, is not «jij}y to refuse peprnwision fqf pny Fretwl) steamer 0 6»tSY Australian ports, but also to place a prolubitory fcav pn eyery description of Frenph goods; refuse transit of all letters to or from Frapce, and block the cable figainst its tslegraphlo despatches —to send the osjjntfy, in short, to an lh.» ternational Coventry, There are other ways of showing a just resentment than declaring war, and if France has no respect for the reasonable rjghfcs of the colonies, that country can surely esteem it no wrong for t)w colonies iff refuse tf> trade wjitlj Jjep.