New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4266, 21 November 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1874.

Coincidence of idea is not an uncommon thing. A speculator in England or America strikes out a project for a new railway, or a new harbor, or a new line of packets, or a new watering-place ; and he has scarcely begun the ventilation of the idea, when ho finds that the same notion has occurred to tho fellow opposite with whom he has no connection. Bkown, the playwright of the London Smart Theatre, is struck with tho adaptability of a French play to the English stage, and has scarcely intimated his intentions to the manager, when he discovers that Smith, of the Opposition, has made the same forecast, and will produce an adaptation of the same piece on tho same day. An author is suddenly inspired with the idea of a now book, but as the subject is entirely original he delays its workingout for a time, and at last has scarcely begun tho task when ho is dismayed by finding that an enemy has written a book on the same subject. Coincidence of idea, we say, is common. . There were few who suspected, however, when the Premier of New Zealand first ventilated his project for a company to secure the trade of tho Polynesian islands, and especially of Fiji, that tho same idea had possessed the Premier of New South Wales. Tho only difference appears now to have been that while Mr. v ooee proposed to proceed by a company, which might possibly assume large proportions, and which, aided by a guarantee from

this colony, might secure to it many of the advantages of the large trade which he could discern as likely to arise in the future, Mr. Pabkes proposed to accomplish the same object, through a more ambitious channel. Mr. Vogel’s more commercial proposals were so far before the time that they were indifferently received by Parliament, and so little understood that they were withdrawn from the consideration of the Assembly for the session, and the Premier contented himself with giving a small guarantee to a New Zealand steamer to keep hold of the trade it had-begun. Mr. Pabkes, all the while, was corresponding with the Imperial authorities, and latterly with great earnestness of purpose, for such an annexation of Fiji to New South Wales as would have made the islands possessed by Cakobau, Maafu, and the other parties to the late treaty, a mere appanage of that colony ; and have made the tariff, the laws, and the administration of Fiji purely Sydney in character. Had the protracted correspondence of Mr. Pabkes with the Secretary of State for the Colonies been known or suspected while the General Assembly of New Zealand was last in session, it is not open to doubt that the forethought, labor, andrecommendations of the Premier would have been much more appreciated than they were, and would have been discussed with a much more lively sense not merely of their general and great, but of their immediate, importance. Yet there is no doubt of the earnestness with which Mr. Pabkes has labored to secure Fiji to Sydney; and we are inclined to think that his chagrin is that the visit of Sir Hercules Robinson to Fiji has ended only in an annexation which gives no more favor to New South Wales than it does to Victoria or New Zealand. We desire to regard the Acts of Mr. Pabkes in all intercolonial matters with the utmost liberality, and a cordial admission of the loyalty with which he has co-operated with this colony on many occasions, and now—once more—in the San Francisco mail service arrangements. But wo cannot deny that his conception of the probable value, in time to come, of the Polynesian trade was coincident with that of Mr. Vogel, while we also must confess to ourselves that he did not so openly avow his conviction ; that he went to work to secure for New South Wales the advantages of the future in a less open and commercial spirit than did Mr. Vogel. The Premier of this colony took the public of New Zealand into his confidence ; the Premier of New South Wales made confidantes of his own colleagues only—if even of them. Papers have been presented to the Parliament of New South Wales which show that, before the last Parliament of New Zealand met —while yet Mr. Vogel’s scheme was in embryo, and before the proof-sheets of his project had issued from the pressof the Government printer— Mr. Pabkes was in active correspondence, both by post and telegraph, with the Secretary of State for the Colonies as to the future of Fiji. In May, speaking for the Cabinet, ho wrote to Sir Hercules Robinson, opening the subject, the following mildly-mannered suggestion;— “We feel.justified in saying that this “ colony would heartily. and cordially “ assist in the work of establishing a “ form of regular government in Fiji by “ any reasonable means within our “ power.” To this Sir Hercules was not able to reply before the 17th of July, when he wrote to Mr. Pabkes ;—“ I “ have this day received a telegraphic “ message from Lord Carnarvon, in- “ forming me that your offer of co-opera- “ appreciated liy'ifcr ’MajeSy’s Govern! “ ment.” The game had been opened adroitly, Mr. Parkes had won the opportunity to play a valuable leading card, and this is the (supposed) trump he did play;—“Ministers are of opinion that “ the most effective aid that this colony “ could give would consist in placing at “ the service of the new colony, for a “ limited time, its public departments “ and certain of its public functionaries. “ For example, the Governor could “ without inconvenience, visit Fiji once “ a year, and the law-ffficers could act as “legal advisers; the Supreme Court “ could be made a court of appeal ; and “ the well-organised printing office, the “ Department of Education, and the Sur- “ vey Office of this colony could be made “ available. In like manner the Pacific “ Mail Service could carry the letters of “ the new colony for the postage only.” The idea was clever. The shield of Britannia was to be thrown over Fiji, as regarded all comers—including that colony (Now Zealand), which, though its Premier was at the moment considering how best, and with its own security for a moderate interest against risk to capitalists, to promote British and colonial interests in Fiji; but the honors of government, the privileges of patronage, and the solid advantages of the trade of the group, to be followed in time by that of the islands around them, was to be secured to New South Wales. The idea was large- but it was colonial; and we may say, without meaning any offence, it was somewhat New South Welch. It was this, modest proposal on the part of Mr. Pabkes that Fiji should become a part of New South Wales—much like the island of Pental, in the River Murray, which she claimed for years, and lost to Victoria at last—which led to that suggestion by Lord Carnarvon, which surprised the colonies a few days ago, that four of the Australian colonies should jointly pay the expenses of Fijian Government. Lord Carnarvon wrote —and we can only set down the mistake to his good nature—in reply to Mr, Parkes as follows ;—“ Taking nil things into eon- “ sideration, I trust I am making no “ unreasonable proposal if I invite each “ of the four colonies of New South “ Wales, Victoria, New Zealand, and “ Queensland, who are principally con- “ cerned in the commerce of the “ islands, and in the regulation of “ the labor traffic, to contribute £4OOO “a year towards the expense of “the colonial government of Fiji.” This despatch and wo call attention to the fact is dated the 7th day of August last. By that time the proposals of the Premier to the General Assembly of New Zealand had been chilled out of existence. Yet Now South Wales, through its astute Premier, was striving to win, by “ stratagem,” if not by open work, what the Parliament of New Zealand had resolved to postpone the consideration of to another time. That the whole affair has ended as it has done is perhaps fortunate. It will at least prevent intercolonial jealousies. Fiji is not part of New South Wales, but of Great Britain. New Zealand can take her share untrammelled in the competition for the trade which annexation has opened up. Victoria was the first to send an occasional steamer to see what was doing in Fiji. Now South Wales at once improved the occasion of the annexation by placing a monthly steamer on the lino between Sydney and Lovuka. New Zealand, however, had already engaged in the trade with encouraging success. Had the Premier’s suggestions met with more acceptance last session it might have been.

better; but—as matters stand, and as Fiji is British and not New South Welch —we may hope to hold our own in a trade which at present is encouraging, and appears to be destined to grow to large proportions. There is something in coincidence of idea after all.