THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MAY 13. 1884.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7016, 13 May 1884, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MAY 13. 1884.

sriminal classes and the -worst of them, j whom it was undesirable to retain in j She home prisons. It was impossible to suppose that this monstrous' project jould receive the countenance of the French nation or of its Government or Legislature. It appeared to be the proposal of individuals, and ignorantly jr carelessly put forward —an inexcusable thing, to be publicly and promptly disavowed. And we could not but interpret this a3 the general feeling in France i'vora the extreme iesire manifest there, and .the steps which are bein<? taken to establish closer and more important commercial relations with these colonies. In addition to the steamers of the Messaperies Maritimes recently laid on, a secondlyie, to" be known of as the Compagaie Com- j merciale, has been planned, and ac-*| cording to tho programme is to coinmenceruuning this very month between the ports ot Bordeaux, Havre, and Antwerp and these colonies. Ifc is not many months too since 'Baron It. Michel, belonging to the Department of the Minister of Commerce in France, was in Melbourne, commissioned byhis Government to make enquiries with a view to the enlargement of mercantile intercourse and trade with Australia, and with New Zealand likewise, as was stated at the time. Everybody knows that a mutual good understanding is a needful preliminary to success in such matters ; and it would be the oddest thing in the world if people who exhibit so much sense of the importance of trade -with these colonies I who lay down lines of steamers and commission envoys to cultivate more intimate relations with us—should, side by side with such pains, delibsrately adopt measures to baffle the object and render amity impossible—should so exasperate the people they want to do business with as to compel us to shut the door, bar , our ports against them ! T.his is a thing impossible •to comprehend. To what, then, are we to look for a solution of the enigma 1 The recidiviste project was one of those extraordinary incomprehensible turns of folly which for some time have abundantly characterised French State affairs. The world, it is said, is governed by a pinch of wisdom, but even the proverbial pinch has not been visible of late in French government. Precisely at a very delicate and even critical juncture of European affairs a whole circle of complications has been created for France, so astonishing and alarming the nation that it was generally believed abroad a revolution was inevitable. But there has been no 'revolution,- simply because the Moderate Republican party, which now comprehends the bulk of the nation, feels pretty much as Metternich did, though , in a different way and day— " After rue tfie deluge !" The Moderate Republicans know that a revolution would bring back their enemies, perhaps one of the present foolish Bona- \ partes, without the brains of the late I Napoleon, and therefore an Empire I which would be feeble, resembling the j last only in its latter days and bureauI cratic abuses. Or else a revolution I would bring back not an Imperial but j a Royal regime—the Bourbons, " who ' have learned nothing and forgotten nothing," and who, among other' changes, would try to restore political ! power to the Church, a thing not only bad for a country but bad for a Church itself to possess; and the new head of the united Royalists would have to please the Legitimists, the largest section of the Royalist party, or he would retain only the skeleton of a following. Or perhaps a revolution will give the Socialists a brief spell of office for the ;rial of theories, -which nowhere are nore disliked than in France by the country people, the vast majority of the nation. One or other of the above three things a revolution would bring, and so the Moderate Republicans rally round the Government, and though notoriously dissatisfied and often gravely alarmed by the blunders and caprices of successive Ministries they keep on hoping that each change Tα. the personnel will make things right. As for the recidiviste question, that soncems us out here, it may truly be said that the five millions of peasant proprietors, who, with their families ire the main body of the French nation, know nothing whatever about it, or the injury it would inflict on these colonies. The geography of the South Seas is not popularly comprehended in our borne country, much less in Continental Europe. The commercial classes and other educated men do know all about it, and that in France they regard this recidiviste project as one of the untoward caprices too often exhibited in their official circles and bound'-to disappear, is manifest from their desire to carry out greatly extended commercial relations with these colonies. They should recollect, however, that this official project, so wantonly put forward, and which rightly aroused our 'indignation and angry protest, ought never to havebeen put forward, or when it was should have been immediately suppressed in the Legislature. On the contrary, it found many supporters in one of the Chambers. In the disapWhat has happened about the recidi- j pointments caused by the mismanageriste affair? After the statements ' ment of their foreign aflairs there are which were made some months ago. by i people now in the French Assembly M. Ferry, head of the French Govern- ' who seem willing to set their hands ment, to Lord Lyons, English Ambas- against everything and everybody, sador in Paris, there was certainly rea- But on this particular matter cornson to expect that no more would be mon sense appeared to prevail, heard of the project, and that the difli- evinced by M. Ferry's declaration culty would have been ended ere now. jto Lord Lyons. But it looks as if But according to a telegram from Lon- i things have taken a turn again, for of don of the Sth instant the Paris cor- : late the Paris Press has been "waxing respondent of the Times writes that: wroth on the subject—inquiring, "Do "If the colonies are not clamorous in ■ those colonies want to measure their regard to the question, the wisdom oi strength against a European nation 1" the French Sena'te and the costliness oi and the Times Paris correspondent says the scheme will probably prevent the that, we are too clamorous—that "if measure from being brought into active the colonies are not clamorous the thing operation." This is by no means in- will probably be settled." Now, as telli<nble, and we are in the dark as t( matter of fact, though naturally and the S cause of the delay. Besides M . properly clamorous when the project Ferry's communication months ago | was broached, the colonies were not at there are various other substantial rea i all so, recently, because there were assusons which made us anticipate i ranees that the. difficulty was about to satisfactory settlement before now be removed. It is very undesirable to To establish penal stations in thi have obstacles rise up when it was supneighbourhood of populous colonie posed the question was all but formally j belonging to another Power is a thin; settled, and we hope some of the without international precedent. N< ! colonial ambassadors have not endoubt New Caledonia was appointee tangled it. They have not all exa penal station in bygone years hibited as-much judgment as the New but with the growth of the neigli Zealand Agent-General. " Push" may bouring Australasian communities i. be a good thing in private business, was reasonable to expect that sucl but may be very easily overdone in an arrangement would diminish an i European diplomacy, and the tact of disappear? Instead-of this, howevei, aTallyrand or a Palmerston isnotoften it has been actually proposed t > produced by young countries. So on enlarge it, and even extend the ai • this question Lord Derby has somerangement to other islands; and i i times presented a shell of reserve, and was° also proposed that the arrange ■ it may be that M. Ferry has been put ment should hot include again politic! 1 upon his mettle. Let us trust, howoffenders, who, as everybody knowi, over, that this most disagreeable quesmay happen to be among the best me i tion, which should never have been nf a nation, but to send out only th ) created, will be soon got out of the

way. It is not' improbable that tb.9 H identical Note to the Home Govern. H ment from the Australian colonic If which our own colony has joined, p ro . *g testing against the action of Francs ?J3 may contribute to this result. It B| be seen from the latest telegrams that 5 the Imperial Government has decided if on forwarding this Note to the French *f Government, as evincing the earnest S ness of all the Australasian colonies in 'H this matter, and the sympathy 0 ? * the home authorities and of the Ej,, lish people with their deeire to preveaj -- the Pacific from becoming the recepta c l a of foreign criminality. If the French I J authorities are wise they will trsar i? ■with respect this expression of thj i will and purpose of incipient whose wealch- and power and resolute i ''- ness they nave hitherto appeared in. clined to underrate.