PENAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE PACIFIC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 421, 6 March 1880, Page 11

PENAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE PACIFIC.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. g IR) —Jt is gratifying to perceive that the New Zealand Government intends, to take stringent measures against the landing of the liberated French prisoners from New Caledonia at Auckland. These people are far from being desirable fellow citizens, and the precaution of the Government is a wise^one.. I avail myself of this opportunity to point out the danger that exists in some 01 the islands of the Pacific becoming the penal establishments of different European powers. The rumor is current that Germany intends making use of Samoa in this direction. . TVe may consequently have the degraded citizens ■ of Germany added to those of I ranee as fellow citizens, for these islands lie almost within Australasian seas, and their inhabitants must become closely associated with us. There is no reason why Italy, Austria, Holland, Belgium, or any other European power should not follow the example set by France, and perhaps Germany. Such distant prisons will be found convenient to Continental nations. But sufficient injury has been done Australasia in the matter of New Caledonia. Is it not advisable for each Australasian colony to respectfully request the Imperial Government to see that European nations retained their own degraded citizens ? If we formally desired England to retain at home her own degraded sons, surely we ought to guard against the danger arising in other quarters. Such a request would carry weight at the Foreign Office, and greatly strengthen its hands when dealing with the question. If Germany, for instance, perceived that the

Australasian colonies, or even a majority of them protested against the establishment of penal settlements in the Pacific, there would be great likelihood of that Government listening to and respecting the protests, not only out of regard for the indirect wrong to the colonies themselves, but also out of respect for her own Australian colonists.—l am, <fcc., Coleman Phillx s. Wairarapa, February 26.