THE FRENCH IN NEW CALEDONIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 155, 24 December 1853, Page 5

THE FRENCH IN NEW CALEDONIA.

(From the " Sydney Morning Herald.") The following are the particulars which we have been enabled to glean respecting the act of the French Government in taking possession of the island of New Caledonia and its dependencies. It appears that the French Rear-Ad-miral commanding in the South Pacific, sailed from Tahiti in the steam corvette "Le Phoque," accompanied by several naval officers and civilians, "on a cruise among the Islands." On the 23rd September, the "Phoque" arrived at New Caledonia, and ou the 24th the Admiral landed at Belade, and, hoisting the French flag, formally took possession of the " Island of New Caledonia and its dependencies" in the name of his Imperial Majesty, Napoleon 111., Emperor of the French. A proccs verbal of the occurrence was immediately drawn up, in which the Admiral states that he takes possesion of the Islands by order of his Government: and after the 24th September. It would appear that no extensive preparations had been made for the maintenance of the new station ; but Admiral Dcs Pointes chartered the American barque "John H. Millay," which he found there, and despatched her with his Secretary, M. De Perrien, and M. Amet, an officer of the " Phoque," to Sydney, to obtain supplies and stores on a large scale. We are informed that three French frigates were to follow the" Phoque,' with troops, to insure the possession of the Island. M. De Perrien brought a letter from Rear-

Admiral Dcs Pointcs to M. Sentis, the Consul of France, at Sydney, requesting his assistance and advice in obtaining the stores required, and enclosing a copy of the proces verbal. M. Sentis, immediately on receipt of this important intelligence, forwarded a copy of the last named document to his Excellency the Governor General. We have reason to believe that the immediate object of the French Government is to establish a penal settlement on the island ; but coupled with the systematic extension of the French influence over the Society Islands, the Pomoutou Group, and the Marquesas, this occurrence assumes a great importance in a political point of view, and is indicative of well considered designs on the part of the French Emperor. We shall return to the subject more at length to-morrow, but we cannot refrain from expressing our deep regrei that, by the laxity of the British Government, notwithstanding the repeated and earnest representations which have been made to it, both from the Government of the colony and from commanders of her Majesty's vessels, who have visited and explored the islands of the Western Pacific during the last few years, as to the immense importance of New Caledonia in reference to the Australian dependencies, the opportunity of colonizing that fine group has been lost. That regret is enhanced by the consideration that after all our struggles to get rid of the withering curse of convictism, after the bitter differences which had arisen between the colonies and the mother country have been happily reconciled by the total abandonment of transportation to these shores —a convict settlement should be formed by a powerful foreign nation in our immediate neighbourhood, and on the high road of communication between Australia and the important mart of commerce to our northward and eastward, China, California, and the west coast of America. In a commeicial point of view, the colonization of New Caledonia, even by the French, may appear at first sight advantageous to the interests of this city, but such a consideration is entirely secondary in importance, and sinks into insignificance by the side of the moral, social, and political consequences attaching to the occupation of the most splendid islands in the Pacific by a rival nation, whose aims and objects are so dissimilar, not to say opposite, to those which have for many years been earnestly contemplated by the most intelligent colonists of Australia and of New Zealand.