COLONIAL ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6813, 18 September 1883, Page 6

COLONIAL ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

[FROM Orjß OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, August 9. ANNEXATION IN THE PACIFIC. An outline of the able despatch penned ,;by Sir Francis Bell, and adopted by 'all the Agents-General, excepting the r.epresentative of South Australia (who, by express instructions from his Government, ', took no part in the movement made by the other colonies to secure at least a British protectorate over the islands of the Western Pacific), deeply impressed the Secretary of State for tha Colonies, but has not prbveol sufficient to induce the Cabinet to abandon their opposition to the forward policy advocated by the colonial Governments. The truth is that the Government feel that a general election is imminent, and. they do not want to place a whip in the hands of their opponents to thrash them with. On the whole they think it safer to pursue a donothing policy in regard to New Guinea and , the Western Pacific than to take the inevitable plunge which would enable their opponent 3 to expose their inconsistency in annexing a territory larger than Europe after all they had said about respecting the liberties of helpless races. The policy of abstention is almost certain to land them or their successors in greater difficulties ere long ; but, at present, the selfish motto of the Royal Sybarite, " After me, the deluge," influences their line of action. It is no secret that Lord Derby was positively startled by the revelations made in the Agents-General despatch respecting the magnitude of the French transportation scheme. He brought the subject immediately under the attention of the Cabinet, but the tenderness felt towards " French susceptibilities" prevented any immediate remonstrance being made, the result being that the iniquitous policy of the Ferry Government was permitted to become law. The French Ministry can very well plead that a scheme which was discussed night after night in the Chambers, and which constituted almost the only measure of importance enacted thronghout the session, could scarcely have escaped the attention of the vigilant Government of Great Britain, and that as no remonstrance was made to the policy involved it is too late, to raise the question of colonial interests after the Legislature has finally approved of the law. It will be remembered that two or three years since M. Gambetta addressed the electors of Belleville, and was so provoked by the insults he received, that calling his constituents a set of gaol birds, he vowed he would track them to their lairs. He: elaborated a scheme for purging France of its habitual criminals, urgiug that the agglomeratiou of discharged convicts in Paris and other large cities was becoming a grave cause of social and even political danger. These men were described as " ready to rise for purposes of incendiarism and rapine at the call of any revolutionary adventurer," and it was boldly proposed that every criminal should on a second conviction for felony be transported for life to New Caledonia. These are the men who are shortly to be favoured with free passages to the Pacific. In its passage | through the Legislature, the proposals of the Government were modified to some extent in the direction of limiting the punishment of transportation to the more desperate classes of ruffians ; but this will prove but a small consolation to the Australasian colonists if thousands of the most ferocious criminals to be found in Europe are let loose in the Pacific without control of any description. When the despatch of the Agents-General obtained publicity the ability with which it was written was generally recognised. But few of the papers seemed to see the gravity of the proposal to. make the Pacific the receptacle of the dangerous classes of France. The Times admitted that, if the colonies are prepared to sink differences and to co-operate in the great work which their Pacific policy foreshadows, it will not becasy to conceive a valid objection to theit suggestion*, It asserts that the colonists are animated by the true spirit which is the creator of new nations, but beyond mere generalities of this description it does not go. The Daily News is impressed with the conviction that adventurers from the colonies will certainly make their way into the Pacific Islands, and that it is far better that this natural, expansion of a superior race should be recognised and controlled by authority than that it should be left to the unregulated impulses of individuals. Recognising the Imperial responsibilities in regard to the protection of the native races, the News still thinks that the islanders may suffer more, from casual depredation than they could lose by a proper scheme o£ incorporation under a joint colonial protectorate. The St. James's Gazette considers the despatch one oi the most remarkable papers it has seen for some time,, and believes that it marks the beginning of a momentous period in the relations ot the mother country with her Australasian oolonie3. The Government had to reckon with the colonies in a matter which might cost England their allegiance, or plungo the mother country yet deeper into difficulties with France, or, perhaps, other Powers. The Morning Advertiser is not less emphatic. Lord Derby, it remarks, when he declined to annex New Guinea, could hardly have expected a rejoinder at once so crushing and yet so studiously respectful to the Imperial authorities. The case of the colonies, and their proposed policy, are presented with logic so convincing that it is har(£ to see how anyone capable of reasoning, or open to argument, can resist the conclusions arrived at. Such are some of the comments evoked by Sir Francis Bell's powerful despatch. But the Government have obstinately refused to reconsider their policy. Mr. Ashmead Karfciett, a day or two ago, questioned them whether, in view of the AgentsGenerals' despatch, they would reconsider their decision in regard to the establishment of a British Protectorate over New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The Premier's curt reply was to the effect that the Government had seen no cause to add to or to alter their decision. Mr. Murray Smith at once addressed a vigorous despatch to Lord Derby, in which he pointed out the annoyance to which the colonies had been long subjected, owing to the frequent escape of convicts from Ne»v Caledonia, and demanded that in view of the remarkable extension of the French system of transportation that had just Deen sanctioned, the British Government should take the necessary steps to protect the colonies. Not a few astute observers of events hold to the opinion that it rests with the colonies whether the New Guinea question shall be settled almost immediately or be indefinitely hung up. Some assert that it is a mere question of finance ; that if the colonies, would agree to contribute the cost of Carrying out their policy and give the requisite assurances, the Imperial Government would waive their objections to an extension of their responsibilities. Others believe that a little additional pressure would be required.. An Australasian statesman wh.Oße influence upon the fortunes of tha Southern Hemisphere has been second to none, assured me a day or two ago that it would be quite easy to force the hand of the British Government and secure the annexation of New Guinea iu. less than twelve months. Let Queensland, he said, or the whole of the colonies, form a great colonial trading company and establish immediate relations with Papua. The Imperial authorities would be oompcllcd to. interfere, and as they could not prohibit commercial relations, they would, very soon find that a protectorate was the :easier policy. Just as I am closing this letter .1 hear that after all a practical protectorate over the Pacific may be established under the guisj of an extension of the powers of the High Commissioner. It is thought that his jurisdiction might even be arranged to include foreigners if the colonies are willing to aeoopt the inevitable and conciliate Franca by allowing her to acquire the New Hebrides; There is really no hope that England will irritate French susceptibilities by pushing colonial claims to this group. A suggestion, has been made to the Colonial Office that a solution of the French convict difficulty might be found in the transfer of all convicts from. New Caledonia and other places nearer to the Australian coast, to the Marquesas, and other French possessions in the remote Pacific, Stress, however, is laid on the fact that France must bs conciliated, as it is believed she would fight rather than Surrender the New Hebrides. England certainly won't fight to secure them. THE REDMONDS IN AUSTRALIA. The Parnellites are greatly incensed at the significantly 000 l reception the Redmonds have met with in Australia, notably in Sydney and Melbourne. The action of the. New South Wales Government in removing, from the Commission of the Peace three justices who had characterised the Imperial Parliament as a " Foreign Senate," and expressed their admiration of the resolute resistance I

offered by the Irish Party to oppressive proceedings,: increased their rage..- Mr. Healy, the member for/ Monaghan, brought the latter matter before the House of Commons, endeavouring to "make. Lord Loftua: respond sible. He betrayed a lamentable ignorance of the constitutional principles, which underlay selffgoverhthent in the colonies,. Mr Ashley replied that the. Governor had acted simply on the responsibility and initiative of :the."l6yal.Government" of Sydney.. This expression angered the Parpellites,. and Mrs Healey so far-forgot himself as to give nptitre of his intention, to ask the following grossly insulting hut equally ridiculous question :— How many cohvict3 are there in the New South Wales Legislature ; whether any of these convicts were pickpockets sent out from this, country j and whether they are not in the Government of the colony ?

j AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICES. ' The P, and 0. Company's service has been considerably disorganised by the outbreak of cholera in Egypt, bat they have now made arrangements which will enable them to deliver the mails With almost ag. muqh despatch as of old. By the consent oi the PostmasterGeneral, the transit of mails,, both outwards and homewards, by the Egyptian railway between. Alexandria and Suez has been suspended, and they will be conveyed to Port Said direct, proceeding through the canal without touching at any other Egyptian port. The homeward mails will,, for Some months, come direct from Port Said to Venice, and this it is thought will make the Brindisi people somewhat less sensitive in the future iu regard to the risks of cholera. The mails will be sent overland, but as passengers would be quarantined, it has been decided to increase the speed of passenger boats between Port Said and Plymouth from 11 to 14 knots, and thus minimise the inconvenience to which they are subjected by having to adopt, the long sea route as much as possible. It is. believed that an alternative mail ser-. . vice to Australia will shortly be started. The Orient Company have been negotiating with the Naw Sonth Wales Government in .regard to the establishment, of a fortnightly toail with Sydney, via Southern ports. The Imperial Postal authorities were asked if they would carry Australian mails brought from Australia to Suez, ou the same terms that they now; carry mails brought from Australia to Colombo by the P. a«d Q. Company. Mr. Fawcett, after some hesitation, has agreed to do so, if it is understood that the postal authorities of Victoria,and New Sonth Wales do not intend to enter upon a war of postal rates. If the Sydney Government give a satisfactory assurance npnn this point, a regular Weekly mail will soon be established to Australia. Nothing more has transpired with respect to the negotiations procecdiag with the French Government for the establishment of a mail, service between France, Tahiti, and New Zealand.

MISCELLANEOUS. ' Emigrants continue to be sent Out at the : usual rate. The Doric' sailed from Plymouth on the 28th ultimo, with nearly 600 souls On board, of whom about 300 are Government emigrants, and the rest paying passengers, The Taranaki is eft route for Canterbury, with 300 emigrants (130 of them being single women), and the Nelson, for Otago, with 350 more.. The Westland will sail almost immediately for Wellington, with a complement of 300. On the 22nd instant, the British Queen will take out 200, for Otago and Canterbury, and the .lonic an equal number, in September. Shaw, Saviil, and Albion Company's chartered steamer, the Triumph, 2570 tons, 2570 tons, will take out emigrants to Auckland, sailing on September 25. The New Zealand Shipping Company have had to refuse nearly 100 persons Who were anxious to take passages by their last two steamers. They sought permission to send forward some of the nominated emigrants by Sailing vessels, but it was not granted.

The four New Zealand torpedo boats will be launched and tested the same day, probably before the end of this month. The largest 6f the Victorian torpedo boats will be launched by Mrs. Childers, on the ISth instant. It will be named The Childers.

It is reported that Mr. Vesey Stewart has arranged for the construction of the railway from Tauranga to the Hot Lakes, a firm of ironmaster? having undertaken the work, probably in tho. hope of selling to a company OH the completion of the line. Mr. Stewart has arranged to send out a batch of settlers to Tauranga, hy one of the Shaw, Saviil,. and Albion Company's Ships, to sail next November.

There is no New Zealand meat in the market just now, the cargo ex British Queen having been cleared, The mutton was considered very good, and sold at between 7d and per lb. A few of the sheep were too fat for the proportion! of lean they carried. Some carcases were stained about the legs, and cut up dull, owing probably to Some neglect or haste during the process of chiliing. Other carcases were rather out of shape, or showed indentations where the leg or neck of another sheep had lain against them during, a good; trade." These slight defectß are of little consequence, but if the market is dull, they 'arouse a prejudice against colonial, mutton, and make the trade oven less brisk, a The John Elder brought a consignment of merino beef from Sydney, but they were yery small, and of inferior quality, and only averaged 5hA per lb. The OOOcwt. of Australian and New Zealand hops which arrived a' few weeks since are still unsold. . This-is unfortunate, as the new season hops from the Kentish grounds are coming on the market, and realising £20 per c«vj,. The Morning Advertiser, the organ of tho licensed victuallers' trade, has favourably noticed the consignment, and expressed a hope that brewers would test the hops on their merits, and if they are satisfactory encourage colonial j growers to send future shipments. "*. ■ Judge Maningdied On the 25th ult. at the Fitzroy Home Hospital, Fitzroy Square, at five p.m. For mouths he had suffered intense pain from cancer in the right, jaw. : Shortly before his death he expressed to his friend Captain Ash-by the gratitude lie felt towards all the colonial friepds who had ' taken so much interest in his welfare during his protracted illness. The Far! of Pembroke paid him frequent visits, and Was particularly kjnd to him.-- Judge Maning's remains will be sent out to New Zealand for interment.

Some of your lady readers may be interested to learn that on the sth ult. Mr. Alexander Boyle, the youngest son of Vice-Admiral Boyle, was married to Miss Fanny Studholme, the eldest daughter of Mr. Michael Stttdholtne, of the Waimate, Canterbury. The United Methodist Free Church Conference have directed the Rev. C. Worboys, of London,, to proceed to the Christchureh mission, New Zealand. Tho Royal Colonial Institute are about to build on an excellent site in Northumberland Avenue, close to Trafalgar-square. Their invested funds amount to £5500, They have rocently received donations to the extent, of £1351 (£IOO from Mr. Robert Porter, of New Zealand), and of the proposed issue of £15,000, 4 per cent, debentures, £3900 have been already applied for. Perhaps some of your wealthy residents will come to the assistance of a Bociety which unquestionably accomplishes much good work for the colonies.. The acceptance by the Rev. Canon Barry, the principal of King's College, of the Bishopric of Sydney and the Primacy of Australia and New Zealand, has greatly surprised his friends, as he was considered Sure to be raised to the highest Episcopal Bench on the first opportunity. He was offered the Deanery of Exeter while the colonial appointment was under his consideration. He is regarded as a very able man, an active worker, good administrator, and an accomplished scholar and preacher. Ha is nearly GO years of age. It is unlikely that he will be able, to leave England until after Christmas,