MR SEDDON ON' THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Evening Star, Issue 12763, 16 March 1906, Page 7

MR SEDDON ON' THE NEW HEBRIDES.

The subject >of the New Hebrides was referred to by the Premier in the course of • at Levin. They found, he said, the British Governmenturging a protectorate as France and Britain over those islands. , At; one time those islands wei-e actually included in the colony of New. Zealand, according to the latitude and longitude given, hut speedily they collected that, amd put the islands out of Ne.w’Zeaii® , boundaries. He wished , they had allowed them to remain. They were valuable islands, and, he , believed, •within a very short. distance of the. colony. The agreement was almost completed, and ho did nob very well see how the Governntent could recede from the position, and there were communications now between the self-governing colonies and the British Government, on the, subject. Ho could not divulge what had transpired, but this he could say: that a long tune ago a despatch was sent from this country to the British Government in which the New Zealand Government plainly and distinctly laid down what thev believed to be the proper course for tire British, Government to follow. Ho said it would bo better for them to concede some other islands to' hj ranee, which should cede whatever rights she hud to the New Hebrides and allow them to bo British. The Now Zealand Government said if the British Government could not do that it would be better to let seme of the islands be British and some trench rather than have friction between the two nations, with a prospect of Britain ultimately receding and handing over the whole of tire islands to Franco.