THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 127, 30 May 1908, Page 4

THE NEW HEBRIDES.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

DIFFICULTY WITH THE CONVENTION.

[press association.]

(Received May 29, 9.25 p.m.) a ■--. LONDON, Hay 29. bpeakmg on the Colonial vote, Uoionel Seely, Under-Secretary for the Colonies, explained that the difficulty i n< bringing the New Hebrides Convention into operation arose from the extraordinary state of things existing there. The country had no Sovereign; it belonged to nobody. Ihe Government was hampered at every step because there were no precedents. However, order was now being evolved out of chaos. Something would be done to make the place hapP leJ [or the unfortunate natives, who had been much harried in the past. -Britain had no control over the recruitment'by France of natives for service m New Caledonia. We must c- °n J raS cc's Justice and humanity. it i " **• Conservative Member for London City, declared that the British^ Government could not shirk its obligations because some natives were outside British jurisdiction. The Government shared the responsibility for the treatment of the natives, whoever they were. Mr H. Tennant, Liberal Member for Berwickshire, said that a Sydney telegram showed that French traders were landing large quantities of intoxicants in the New Hebrides.

Mr Hart Davies, Liberal Member J? r 7 E- a? kn^ ?°jft held that *c Colonial Office had done much to mi prove the old system in the New Hebrides.

The vote was agreed to,

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