EUROPEAN CABLEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6819, 25 September 1883, Page 5

EUROPEAN CABLEGRAMS.

CI>ER S.S. RIN'GAO. RMA, AT THE BLUFF.] London, September 12. Baron Macleay, who recently explored New Guinea, and who has had extensive experience anwng the natives of the islands of the South Pacific, has written Lord Derby denouncing the existing Queensland labour traffic'system. Discussing the Tamatavo outrages, the Press generally condemns the aggressive lino of conduct pursued by Captain Johnstone, of the Dryad, in' impeding the operations of Admiral Pierre prior tj the bombardment of Tamatave. ' Messrs; Higginson and Morgan, of Nou-

mea, the latter gentleman being a mc-nber of the firm of Messrs. Morgan and Nephew; i land speculators in the Now Hebrides, are at . present in Paris/ It is reported that they are arranging for a shipment of French con- j victs to the islands of the South Pacific. |

An animated discussion is being carried on i in the French papers as to the propriety of Franco annexing the N<sw Hebrides, honsiderable divergence of opinion is exhibited, the Press being very equally divided on the P °A crand festival in • celebration of the , 400 th"anniversary of tho birth of Martin Luther, the reformer, is he>ng held at Wurtcmburg, Germany. Th» festival wau formally opened 'yesterday by the Crown I Prince of Prussia. - ■ .

Tho Agenta-General for.the dmerent Australasian Colonies, to-day, received a reply from Lord Derby, in answer, to a letter | written by Mr. Smith, Agint-Geueral for -Victoria,, requesting a definite announcement of -the" ■ course ' wl.ich the Imperial authorities intend to in regard to the proposed annexation of New Guinea at;d Now Hebrides. Lord Derby's 'statement consists of several vague assurances of'the interest takeu by the Government in the welfare of the colonies, but the general i tenor is evasive and unsatisfactory. He states, however, that Government intends t-> adhere to their previous determination as to Ihe annexation of New Guinea, and also that they will decline to annex any other islands 6i the Pacific.