THE New zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1884.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6907, 7 January 1884, Page 5

THE New zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1884.

Into the whole subject dealt with by "ilif Conference, of delegates from all ihe.se colonies, which has just concluded its sittings at Sydney, New Zealand has gone heartily and zealously, and our next anxiety is, that our motives and objests may be thoroughly understood and fairly appreciated at Home. Without the aid and countenance of England we can do nothing. Without ner assistance we cannot attain such a degree of confederation as will enable us to secure united action in any matter whatever. Such united action would be for mutual benefit in many ways. By association these colonies might hope ultimately so to frame their tariffs as to be mutually helpful instead of, aa at present, the reverse. When a passenger lands in Auckland from Sydney, his boxes are rifled by Cus-tom-house officers, as if he came from some hostile and foreign country. By confederation also and united action we can only hope to make our desires and wishes felt as regards this quarter of the glebe. We need lot disguise or mince the fact that these extend to the establishment of something like a Munroe doctrine. If any of the great Powers of Europe were to take possession of—say, part of New Guinea — and to establish there a colony of free settlers, who would bring the waste lands into cultivation, and extend commerce and trade in these seas, probably the Australasian colonies would not consider it necessary to show any opposition. But is abundantly manifest that such 'Quid not be the order of events.

The colonies of France—she is the Power in the mind's eye—in the Pacific would be simply either penal settlements on a gigantic scale, or military and naval stations, which ■would be a perpetual menace to our peace. We do not know that it is possible to convey to the minds of readers in England an impression of the dislike and horror which exists in New Zealand and Australia to the existence of penal settlements adjacent to their coasts. Already the convict establishments of New Caledonia are found to be a serious evil, as criminals frequently escape, and make their way to Australia or New Zealand, and if other islands were placed in the same position as New Caledonia, and the worst criminals of France sent out in the manner lately proposed, serious evils would result to the British colonies. Crime would be greatly increased, large additional expenditure would be required in the way of police and in means of detention. Life and property in the thinly settled districts are necessarily greatly exposed, and if a criminal class were launched upon us, a very different feeling would prevail to what now exists. Another serious evil would be the stoppage of the best class of immigration from England, for decent orderly people would not come to a colony subject to a constant infusion of the worst class of criminals.

But beyond all the general reasons for desiring that the voice of these colonies should have a preponderating influence in regard to tho future of the islands of the Pacific, New Zealand, and especially Auckland, has a number of separate and distinct grounds of action. We are somewhat differently situated from the other colonies. From one end of this colony to the other nothing but white labour is employed. We have 110 extensive plawtations of sugar or other tropical products, such as exist in Queensland or Fiji, and which can be cultivated only by the labour of coloured races. It may be said, indeed, that the islands produce nothing that we produce, that they require almost everything that we produce, and which produce things which we cannot produce and must import. This colony must be a maritime country : it is lit ted for it in every way. Clearly, our interest lies in promoting the prosperity of these islands, so that they may be good customers for our manufactures, and may in return constitute in New Zealand an emporium for their produce. We have nothing to do with the labour trade. Our interests lie in the development of the best interests of all these groups of islauds. We desire that they should be thickly populated, and as their climate is too hot for white men to work, the majority of their people must always be'tlie native races which now live there.

Auckland has a special interest in the right settlement.of this problem of the Pacific Islands. This port is the natural centre for the commerce of the islands. Since the very foundation of this city, a considerable trade lias been kept up with most of the groups. A lleet of cutters and schooners has traded from Auckland to the islands, taking calicoes, prints, and probably goods of a less innocent character, and has brought back pearl shell, copra, and latterly cotton and cofi'ee, the produce of the islands. There is now a steam service between Auckland and Fiji, and a large establishment is being put up in the neighbourhood of Auckland for the refining of the sugar to be brought from that colony. With the establishment of British rule over the islands, settled law and government, the suppression of tribal wars, the introduction of capital, the cultivation of new and profitable crops, there will be a large increase of trade and commerce, the great proportion of which will centre in Auckland.

These are our interest!?, general and special, in the Pacific Islands. We submit that they are consistent with the dignity of the Empire and the well-being of the native races. It was perhaps hardly to be expected that English statesmen should at first see things precisely as we see them. They must have regard to the susceptibilities and interests of other European Powers. Lord Derby, as is usual with men of his cold and ungenial temperament, is deficient in the statesinan-ike attribute of farseeingness. But the colonists are quite in earnest. They are absolutely at one on the more important points, and know precisely what they want. They think they see their way to creating a public opinion in England which -will operate on the Ministry, and which will also enable the Ministry to act. They are convinced that in what they ask they are seeking the welfare of the group of Australian colonies, and are also acting for the best interests of the whole Empire.