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New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6815, 20 September 1883, Page 4

The article which we publish elsewhere from the Lytteltou Times in reference' to what lias bqea done-to promote a " petition from Samoa, under the Annex - ation Act of last session, merits a few - remarks. The statement made by Mr. Lundon in his letter to a friend m :. Auckland as to the desire on the part of the natives of Samoa arid the Euro'; : pean settlers to be joined to New Zealand, are the more worthy of entire, credence and trust, as when he wrote he must have been quite ignorant of ■■ ■what had been said in the New Zealand Parliament on the subject, and of the' procedure proposed in. the Annexation Ace. Mr. Lundon could not, therefore, be impelled to action by his position 35 - ati old follower of Sir George Grey,'" ■* for he could, not have known when hewrote that Sir George had identified himself with the question of annex-. ation. "What our contemporary says respecting the Government of Samoa is quite correct, but he does, not men-« tion what we believe will be the most powerful argument with the Samoacs 1 for a desire to join New Zealand. Enormous claims to ownership of land are now made in Samoa by various Europe ins, and it would be a necessity of joining New Zealand, or coming under British rule, that these claims should be carefully investigated, when no doubt most of them would be cut down to very much smaller dimensions than they now assume. There is do doubt that any movement for annexation would ba strongly resisted by most of the land claimants, and by some of those Europeans who pull the strings of the Native Government. Our contemporary makes a little bundle oF errors in speaking of Mr. John Lundon being in the employ of "Messrs. McArthur,. Shera, and Co., of Aucfc*

land," but that is a matter of small importance. ' "We do not believe that the annexation of Samoa would, as the Lycteltcn Times thinks, add to our >' native troubles." Samoa is a peaceable place, and is not troubled by the " labour trade," or other evils "to which others of the groups, such as the New Hebrides, are subject. The people are intelligent and well behaved. European settlement to any great extent is not at all likely, but annexation would mean a settled administration, and a large increase in production and commerce. It is quite possible, considering the spirit which has been shown by the Ilouse and the Government in the Land Act, that if Sa>noa were joined to Ifew Zealand, all alienation of the land would be prevented. The policy of New Zealand would be to encourage the cultivation of the land by the Samoans themselves. Whether the movement which we hope will be inaugurated by Mr. Lundon will come to anything or not, remains to be seen, but we feel certain that sooner or later the causes now in operation at Samoa will necessitate the establishment there of British rule. \