THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1873.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2795, 13 January 1873, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1873.

"When John Gordon Bennett sent Mr. Stanley, one of his staff of foreign correspondents, to " find Livingstone," neither principal nor agent had the most remote idea that they were about to accomplish what is certain to open the African continent to the influences of civilisation. Already, as we pointed out in a former issue, the great missioaary agency of the American Episcopal Methodist Church is at work, the missionaries following in the track of Stanley from Zanzibar to TJjiji. But they do not go alone. Two English expeditions, planned in the interests of science and in sympathy with David Livingstone, are about to explore the African interior. " One of these will " start from Mombas,on the east coast, " to map out the series of lakes on the " lacustrine river, now called Victoria " Nyanza ; the other will start from " the west coast, to ascend the river " Congo, and settle the question of its " source." There are also six German expeditions on foot, and " between " them all they will cover all the central

" region of Africa." The great explorer, if still alive, will have the satisfaction of meeting in the African wilds, with men of his own race, inspired with a kindred spirit in the cause of science and geographical discovery. But this is. not nearly all that has resulted from Mr. Stanley's expedition. Political events are likely to grow out of it, which may have a great bearing upon British influence in the East. England has undertaken the task of suppressing the slave trade on the east coast of Africa, and Sir Bartle Frere has been entrusted with the management of the negotiation with the Sultan of Zanzibar. No doubt, British influence, and if need be, British guns, will bring the semi-barbarous potentate of Zanzibar to reason. The British conquest of Abyssinia is too recent an event to be quite forgotten by the not very distant State of Zanzibar. In the cause of humanity, and in the interest of civilisation and commerce, we trust they will succeed. But the barbarous tribes of the Arabian peninsula, and the astute Khedive of Egypt, who is looking forward to supreme dominion at no distant date, are too much interested in the continuance of the slave trade to let ifc be quite suppressed. The great works which are being carried out by the Egyptian potentate are all done by slave labour. Indeed, since the foundations of the pyramids were laid until now, there never has been a time when " forced " labour" was not the custom of Egypt. It has been the base of its social and political system through all time, and, for anything that appears to the contrary, it will continue to be so during all time. "When, therefore, we read of Sir Samuel Baker's expedition up the Nile, in command of a considerable flotilla and army, furnished by Ismail Pacha, we had doubts whether it wa» altogether in the interests of science, and to open up the African interior to commerce, as the Khedive professed that it was. Events soon proved that Baker Pacha was entrusted with the task of exploring the sources of the Nile truly, his primary duty, however, being to conquer all the intervening territory for his friend and patron the Euler of Egypt. When last heard of, Baker was in a bad way. He had ascended the main river to the mouth of Bahr-el-Q-azal, where the ground is very swampy. Here he had to abandon his boats, and to push on, as he was completely cut off from his base of supplies down the river. Added to which, a great number of his men had died of marsh fever or deserted. The Khedive has now fitted out an expeditionary army of 5,000 men, commanded by a British or American soldier, named Purdy. This force, under Purdy Bey, is to be taken by transports through the Suez Canal, and thence to Zanzibar, whence it is to strike into the interior of Africa. The ostensible object is " to join Dr. " Livingstone, and co-operate with him, " if agreeable, in settling the problem " of the Nile sources ; but that other- " wise this expedition will act indepen- " dently in the explorationand location " of the Nile sources under the " Egyptian flag." Now, Ismail Pacha is a highly cultivated man; he is, moreover, possessed of enormous wealth and absolute power ; above all, he is ambitiouH of founding an independent empire in his fatnily, which Mehemet Ali was prevented from doing by the English Government; and he may desire, by such conspicuous devotion to science, to create a strong European feeling in his favor, before finally renouncing his allegiance to his Suzerain at Constantinople. Be that as it may, we think its real object is territorial acquisition, and the continuance of the slave supply through the interior. Should Purdy Bey, succeed in effecting a junction with Baker Pacha, the force would be sufficient to accomplish the task. The Sultan of Zanzibar and the interior tribes have no means of resisting a force of 5,000 Egyptian troops, armed and equipped as they are, and commanded by a European officer, we may feel certain, of marked ability, or he would not have been entrusted with the commaud. Should the African interior, with its immense resources, fall under the blighting influence of Moslem rule, the world at large would be the loser. There is nothing to prevent England establishing a Protectorate, and founding a free Christian State in the African interior, and we agree with the New Yorh Herald iu thinking that it is England's duty to anticipate Egypt by receiving under the British flag all the interior country discovered by Livingstone, and throwing it open to the general trade of the civilised nations of both hemispheres. It will be apparent at a glance, however, that all these events and possibilities have resulted from the enterprise of the New York journalists. They set the religious and political springs in motion which must humanise the interior peoples of Africa, suppress the slave trade, and open the productions of an old but unexplored continent to the commerce of the world. We should add, however, that the Egyptian expedition under Purdy Bey is not looked upon as having a purely scientific aim by the King of Abyssinia. The Abyssinians —rightly or wrongly—charge upon the Egyptian potentate the design of landing the army in their country, with the view of annexation. This may be; and considering the rude arms of the Abyssinians, they would be quite unable to cope with the Egyptian troops. King i John has appealed to England, as a Christian Power, to sustain the only native Christian State m Africa; and we imagine his appeal will not be in vain. Knowing this, it is just possible that Ismail Pacha may postpone operations in Abyssinia, and that instead of Purdy Bey landing at Bassourah, he will sail down the Eed Sea and across the Indian Ocean to Zanzibar, where his presence, doubtless, will not be welcome to the barbarous sovereign of that country. The next ensuing mail, however, may put us in possession of additional facts

in reference to this interesting .chapter in contemporary history.

The Otago Daily Times recently published an article on the public works policy, inspired by Mr. Stafford. It contained nothing new or suggestive, and had it not been for the introductory sentences, it would have passed unnoticed, for the simple reason that it was much less forcible than the general run of articles in the Daily Times. It began as follows :—

We have had placed in our hands documente of a nature too confidential for publication, which throw considerable light upon the policy of Mr. Stafford and the shortlived Ministry of last session. Although it is, of course, oat of tho question to publish private letters in their entirety, we are yet permitted by those interested to present our readers with such an abstract aa may fairly represent the spirit and ideas which they contain and express.

The burden of the complaint is this: —" The land must bear the burdens. " Already the provinces which have " no land fund are calling out for the " confiscation of the possessions of the " ' wise virgins' who have seen to " their store. The owners of pro- " perty must be specially taxed " (we hear) to carry out the " great policy" In another part of the article we are told that " the burden of the debt contracted "to construct all railways alike " throughout the country is, by the " existing arrangements, laid upon the " consolidated revenue ; in other words, " upon every taxpayer throughout the " couutry, wherever he may find hitn- " self." The Independent, with truth, characterises this statement as a " wilful perversion of the law in. regard " to the imposition of the charges for " the construction of railways,—which " charges are, except with regard to " amounts expended out of the " Middle Island railway fund, charged " against the revenue of the pro- " viaces in which the railways are " made." In other words, the case stands thus: As between the public creditor and the colony, the consolidated fund is liable for the Public Works Loan; but as between the colony and the provinces, the provincial revenue, including land fund, is liable for the amounts expended in the construction of railways, less the £400,000 referred to, which is a special charge against the consolidated fund, in like manner as the sum of £400,000 set apart for roads and land purchase in the North Island. Mr. Stafford's policy was to relieve the land fund and landed property altogether from liability for the loan, by means of special legislation next session. This would have been most injurious in its effects upon the province of Auckland, as well as being most unjust. In reference to the outcry against making landowners liable for railway expenditure, the Independent remarks : —

Apparently, Mr. Stafford's grand fear is that the lands of the colony will be taxed to eupport the railways. Possibly they will, and no more righteous tax could be levied. What have railways done for the landowners of Canterbury, and who are most likely to be the first to feel the advantages of a railway system ? The landed class, those especially who have monopolised enormous areas of country to the exclusion of settlement, have hitherto evaded their fair ehare of the taxation of the country, aud upon them might very righteously fall a considerable portion of any extra taxation that may be necessary before our public work 3 scheme is perfected.