THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6491, 13 July 1886, Page 3

THE NEW HEBRIDES.

♦ FRENCH PETITION TOR . ANNEXATION. r r_o_ ou_ coi—_spoim—st.3 [BY TiI—GBAPH FSO— THK, BLUFF.] BYDNEY,JuIy4. News from New Caledonia states that a strong petition is being signed, asking the French Govern—tent to complete the annexation of the New Hebrides. The following is a copy of the petition:—" To the Governor of New Caledonia and its dependencies, the undersigned free colonists of New Caledonia have the honor to submit the following considerations relative to events which have taken place in the New Hebrides. If the reports in the Australian joumalu which arrived by the last mail can be depended upon, the Government of the Bepublio have declared the occupation of Port Bavan_a_ and Port Sandwich will be of short duration, and that tbe troops engaged in the expedition will soon be re-called to Noumea. Our patriotism refuses to admit such a resolution. We cannot believe that France, - after having hoisted her flag on this land,- Watered by the b'ood ot her colonists and navigators, will now retire. As m4 ca as we have rejoiced at tbe departure of the troops to the New Hebrides, even so much would we regret their retreat, which would undoubtedly be followed by grave consequences ; it would, in fact.deal a deathblow to our influence in the Pacific, and would inflict on our army and navy unmerited humiliation. It would deliver to the fury of cannibals the lives of onr compatriots already established in the New Hebrides, and the results of those measures would be felt even in New Caledonia, where we should be no longer the _—st-rs of the natives. It would have been better not to have taken in hand the enterprise than to show this amount of impotence. For France there is only one solution conformable to its honor, dignity and interests, e'est la prise de possession We beg you to transmic to the M—rister ofiMarine for the colonies these observations inspired by patriotism and enlightened by a knowledge of the real state of things in that country. We beg the Government of the Bepubfic to put an end to these delays—these half-measures, which only benefit our opponents and plant, once for all, a national feeling on this land to which no nation can legitimately contest our right. The Government of Great Britain has done its duty by collecting protests from the _üßtrailan Colonies. We hope then that the Bepublicof Franca will likewise listen in this case to the voice of tbe folonists, which will always be one of honor and patriotism.