PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 25, 16 June 1886, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. YCKTEUDIY. Tha Spoakor took the chair at 2.30 p.m. NEW JIEUJIIWKH. Tho Hon. Sir F. Wliitakur presented a petition, numoroiiHly nigncd, against tho proponed annexation of these Islands to Franco, mid praying tho Council to use its influence against that ovont taking plucc. the BinLE in Boiroor.H. Tho Hon. Mr. Menzioa presented a petition from tho Otago Synod praying that tho Bible may he allowed to Ijo load in schools iv school hours without note or comment. PROTECTION OV WOMEN. The lion. Mr. Aclimd prcented a petition in favour of legislation for tho hotter protection of girls and young women. The petition was sigiibd by IiVJI residento of Canterbury. LANJJ CIiAIM. The Hon. Dr. Pollen presented a petition fi-orn Mr. Cra /fold, a residr-nt of Wellington, in favour of a land claim of long standing. HOBI'ITAI.H AND OHAI'.ITAIiT.E AN'Tho Hon. COLONIAL Si'WKKTAKYsaid, )•! reply to a cjneption by tho If on. Mr. '. lirimski, that it was tho intention of the Government to introduco further legislation, . iiirl that the amendments would bo laid on > t 'lo table. IIHMANK HtiUtT/rY Of AUHTRAMA. Tho Ifwi. COLONIAL SIOCItBTAHIf, in roply to a question by the Hon. Mr. JJonar, i' ii'l tin. (jovomment had subscribed .£'so to tho funds of this pouioty in the pai.t year ; that ii similar sum would be put on the j Miniates for the next year. THE NEW HEBRIDES. The Hon. Sir F. WHITATfEB, in moving hit) resolutions on this subject, said ho considered that this wrh a question which reqnirod dotinito settlement, nnd tho time had arrived whon some settlement should ho arranged that would bo likely to have permanent effect. There had been two proj(Ouals made in another place, to both of which lie had an insuperable objection. Ono of these pro;>o a :ils was, in offoct, that .'.rrangcmciits Hhould be come to , t.otwoen the four great Powers for protection ot thoHO iHliiudH, and that a mixed commission Hhould lie appointed to exercise tho powers of tho High Commissioner, who lia-i authority in tho Western Pacific, [n tho first place both these proposal* wore wholly 'impracticable. It must appear to any ono that besides' tho four Powers montionod thoro wero 40 or 50 othor BtateH in tho world which would bo in no way bound by .tho arrangements of theso contracting [>artion. But as to protection, tho fact was that nearly all tho islands of the Pacific, with tho exception of tho Cook Group and Karotonga, wore iti ono way or another appropriated alroady, so that tho proposed protection would not operate except over those two groups. Then with regard to tho mixed Commission, it appeared to bo overlooked that the High Commissioner had no power to doal with any but British (subjects. •Such a Commission would in no respect bo controlled by anything tho colonies might wish, so far as tho subjects of othor Powers wore concerned. It was evident that this proposal had insuporable objections against it. But the whole question for tha Austrulian Colonies was us to tho introduction of French criminals upon their shoreß. As tho ! Fronch Minister of Foreign Affairs urged tho Australian Colonies did not want more torritory. Tho Fronoh Government had statod thoir own caso very plainly and distinctly. There was at present an understanding hotwoon England and Franco, which was altogether outside tho real interost which tho colonies had in this matter. Ono thing was quito cortain, that England would not fo to war for tho purpose of preventing 'ranco gotting po,se.ssion of tho New Hebrides. It was not impossible that England would mako hut slight rosistuueo, as a diplomatic arrangomont, to Franco having those islands, bocauso it removed an inconvoniont quostion from disoussion. But, it was an immenso consideration for tho nolonios thnt thu arrival of French convicts should ho provented altogether. And this was what was undertaken by Franco, not simply that sho would send no convicts to New Caledonia or tho Now Hobridos, but that sho would send no convicts to tho Western Pacific. Thoro was no denying that it would ho a great boon to tho colonies to relievo them from apprehension on this account. M. Waddington, tho Fronch Minister, pointed out* that it was a Rorious thing for a groat Power to sacrifice any portion of its sovereign rights, lint this Franco was propared to do, in order to proservo good relations with tho Lord Granville, in a memorandum to tho Govornor, pointed out that the roprosontatioiis of tho colonies wonld be much we ikoned if the prcsont offer of Franco were rejected, and that in snch ovont France wonld still bo at liborty to send her convicts to tho Pacific if sho wishod to do so. There Woro two vory important considerations in connection with this subject. Franco said, in ofFeot, if you abandon yonv opposition we shall abandon all schemes of sending rocidivistos to tho Wostorn Pacific. If yon oontinuo your opposition, Franco will continue to oxcrojso nor sovoroign rights to deport hor criminals, if sho pleases, to any part of hor torritorios in this part of tho world or any other. Ho would remind tho Counoil that protection would k havo searcoly any oporation ; that a mixed Commission would havo no effoot ovor subjects of a foroign Power ; and then camo tho quostion of tho military position of thoso Islands. It had boon pointed out that the position of England, in a military sonso, would not ho improved, but rather would be weakened, by tho possossion of the New Hobrides. Thore might bo some increaso of trado by a closer intimacy between tho colonios and these islands, but it wbuld not bo to any appreciable oxtont. But tho island of Bapa occupied a most important position. In tho event of a Enropean war tho Hebrides wonld lie rathor an impediment, whilo Bapa would bo a most important station for military or naval operations. Ho oonfcsso.d that ho folt groatly surprised at tho action which had been taken by tho Government on this quostion. They had stated' tho quostion in detail with great accuracy and forco, but thoy snrrenderod tho whole quostion in riow of tho claims of -ihe 'Presbyterian Church. .There wn.3 not a word to be said against the . Presbyterian Church mission in those iflliuul.s. That mission dosorvod groat credit. Thoir connection with tho Now Hobridos dated Bomo 30 years back, whilo tho arrangement _ bofcween Franco and England datod only for ' eight or nino years back. But tho Government placed tho whole igsne upon tho claims of the Presbyterian Church. It was, however, a fair , quostion to ask whether tho claims of tho Presbyterian Churoh bore any comparison in magnitude to tho boo^? v that would be conferred spon tho by tho abandonment of convict doportation to tho Pacific. But his rosolutions covered tho intoroafcs of tho Prosbytorian Church by stipulating that the " rights and properties " of all classes of British sabjects'should bo guaranteed ; that religion and religious freodom should bo protected, " especially tho Prosbytorian Mission established " in tho Now Hobridos. He considered that the time had canio for the settlomont of this question ; that all concorned should have a oloar apprehension of the whole issue ; and that if not sottled upon Bomo such basis as his resolutions indicated the future oonseqnonoos might bo euoh ob all the colonies of Australasia would regret. (Applause.) The debato wag adjourned. ■< BILLS. The Stock Driving Bill, Codlin Moth Act Amendment Bill, and -Animals Ac^ Amendment Bill wero read a second time. KEEMADEC IBLANDB. The addrosa to hor Majosty expressing satisfaction on learning that the British flag had been hoistod oror theso islands, and praying that her Majosty would bo ploasod to order that thoso islands should bo annozed to tho colony, was agreed to. The Council adjourned at 4.30 p.m.