THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 12

THE EMPIRE.

INDIA. • It is estimated: that a quarter of a million Mahoriicd.iris havo died of plague in the Punjab, solely because thoy refused to evaluate infected .villages,. on . tho ground, that Mahometans are forbidden to ilea from the wrath of God. The principal maulvis (law doctors) of the Punjab have now issued a fatwa (judicial decision) declaring that tlie Koran expressly enjoins Mahomedaristd quit places, smitten i by Allah with disease. ; ' Thd Government has welcomed this proclamation, and has offered; to facilitate the-, printing and publishing of an unlimited number of copies. ,

Mr: Bernard, Commissioner at Bardwari, arid'his wife arid Sister-in-law have, died, suddenly, the cases showing symptoms of cholera. Lieutenant White, of the Indian Medical Service,- and tho lady to whom lie is engaged, who were,;staying in the . .same' house, have also',been taken ill;- tyuti are re-' covering. .\ ......

CANADA.

Earl Grey, the (jdvdr'nbr-Geiieral, has received a despatch , from,, the. Earl oi Elgin stating that, the! Imperial Government will grant a pension to the family of'aiiy veteran of.the South African iv'ar who dies of wounds, injuries, or disease received in the war with-, in seven year.s of removal from. duty. Previously the liiriit wiis two years. , ' .Another despatch [from tho Imperial authorities says that the question of stopping Hindu emigration to Canada is being considered. . I'he Dominion "Government arepressing this: matter oh the Home Government, and a system .of passports to control this emigration has. been Suggested. ' , Mr. Fielding; Minister of Finftricc, lias under preparation an Insurance .Bill' for submission to th6_ coming session of Parliament. .The, measure. is certain to - provoke strong criticism. . Aitliough. it is not of so. drastic a character as tlio Bill presented By the .Goriimissiori WKicK investigated ..tlio insurance companies arid their. affairs, it will go much ■ further than .insurance mdri desire.' Tho Bill will riot follow the British system of freedom of ; investment of funds which Canadian companies would, like -to 'enjoy.: There are now, arid will be, . Restrictions upon investment .Stocks,, but not. so restricted, as the Commissions Bill sought to 1, riiake them. Companies will bo forbidden, to dabble in speculative ..securities; and, rebates will bo made illogal. In full i publicity tho Government sees the greatest safeguard to policyholders. . The amendments made, by the. New York Legislature to the : St&td Laiv, and drafted by the Armstrong Cohiniittce, aroj biVng carefully.. studied, and advantage will 1 bo taken of them in preparing the Canadian legislation: ' . ,

WEST AFRICA. The British officer who was reported, in a folegfain from Lagos as. having been killed at, Abakaliki, oil tho. Cross River, is GaptairiE. do H. Smith", Royal,. Garrison Artillery. Ho was engaged in escorting the District Commissioner to AbalJaliki; Tlio [first telegram received at tlie Colonial Office Reported that' Captain Smith had been wounded, arid a second announced that he had succumbed to liis wounds. The Governor,. Sir Walter Egcrton, is in ignorance of further details, and, as Abakaliki is far up country, it may be : that some t time Will elapso before further nows is received.

THE SWAZI CHIEFS.

ThoSwazi chiefs in London were received by the King at Buckingham Palace, the audience, having been arranged at the request of the,, chiefs,- in -order., that they might express their loyalty to His Majesty, and hear from his'own lips tho .confirmation of the Swaziland settlement. A large riiiriiber of people-had. assembled in and near the Palace' iard when *tlid- visitors 't'dthe 'Grand Entrance,.' at half-past,: ( ten. Alighting froin the.'open carriages'in which they arrived; the chiefs', who were attired jrt the conventional:, frock coat and silk hat,wcro'.conducted.to an ante-room of the Presence Chamber. .' ' . . ' ' ,': " '.Punctually, iit eleven o'clock an Officer of tlio! Household intimated: to therii that His Majesty was ready to receive them.. Tlie folding doors were then thrown . dperi, arid tlie chiefs, having advanced a ' few steps: bowing, greeted .the King with' the Swazi royal salute, "Bavete." . His Majesty,was attended by tho. Lord Chariibcrlain, 'Lord Hamilton of Dalzdll (Ldfd-iri-Waiting), Sir Archibald Edmonstoiie (Grddm-in-AVaiting), Sir Stauloy Clark; and Sii ; Arthur Davidsori, arid was attired iri Field-Marshal's unifc&rii. The Swazi chiefs wero accompanied by Lord Elgin (Colonial Secretary), Sir Fraiici's Hopwood, (Permanent Urider-Secretary, at the Colonial Office), and Mr. Marwidk (niterpreter).

After being presented to His Majesty, tiie Chief M'Lungi , (brother of the late Parariiount Chief,, M'Buno). acted as spokesman; and conveyed to. His Majesty,- through the interpreter, tho loyal grectiiigs of the Swazi Queen-Regent and of the. Swazi nation. He also informed the King that ari address was in coiirse of 'preparation,- and would' bo presented when complete. ,\ The King, who spoke throughout tlio interview with tlie greatest kimfnesi aiid cordiality, thanked the 'deputation . for their greetings, arid said they might safely tely on his continued protection. His Majestr..*said that ho had his representative in Soritli Africa iri the .person of the High Commissioner, Lord Selborne, and they must obey hii'commands. His Majesty stated that he would be pleased to' receive tho address through his 'Colonial Secretary, the Earl of Elgin.

The deputation then withdrew, and the Chiefs left tho Palaco shortly before halfpast eleven, looking highly delighted with tho result of their mission.

A NEWFOUNDLAND GRIEVANCE.

St. John's, November 16. .Mr. H. J. B. Woods, Postmaster-General of the Colony, has received a letter from thd Qeneral Post Office, London, which is but another instance of lack of knowledge which prevails in English official circles coiicorning integral portions of tho Empire. The letter is as follows:— General Post Office, London, Oct. 28, 1907.' Sir, —I am directed b,v the PostmasterGeneral to acknowledge the receipt of your lettor of the 23rd ultimo, in which you express the hope that the rate of postage on newspapers and periodicals sent from tho United Kingdom to Newfoundland may lie reduced to Id. per pound, as was done in the case of newspapers, etc., sent from the United Kjnqdom to Canada. In reply I am to inform you that, as Mr. Buxton has more than, once publicly stated, the reduction referred to was based on the very special and peculiar position, geographical and otherwise, occupied by Canada, as tho result of which British newspapers, magazines, etc., were unable to obtain a footing in Canada, their place being taken by American publications. So far as the Postmaster-General is awaro, there sire no similar circumstances in the caso of Newfoundland, which is thus differentiated entirely from that of Canada. Mr. Blixtou regrets, therefore, that he would not feel justified in recommending His Majesty's Government to meet your wishes by nn extension of the special arrangements to which you rofcriw-I am, Sir, your obedient servant, H. BABINGTON SMITH, Secretary. The Hon. H. J. B. Woods, Postmaster-

General. Now Newfoundland, although an island, is, to all intents and purposes, an integral portion of British North America. Although not actually allied politically, she is most closely connected with Canada by rail and steam. Like the Dominion, she is flooded with American periodicals, and the superior English papers are kept out by high postal rates. The object of the reduction in Canada •vas to benefit- the English publications, and to counteract the inlluencc of American papers on Colonial opinion—two very worthy objects.

What applies to Canada in this respect applies in a precisely similar way to Newfoundland. But 110 one ii» the British Post Office seems to have been able to grasp this fact. Considering that we arc the most ancient Colony, the refusal is singularly ungracious.