ANNEXATION OF THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 8, 24 November 1877, Page 2

ANNEXATION OF THE NEW HEBRIDES.

(From the " S. It Herald.") j It appears that a petition na* gone home front Melbourne by the 6ue»mail,asking the British Government to annex the New Hebrides. The New Hebrides group, which consists of about twenty or thirty islands, !ic> to the north-east of Mew Caledonia, and partly between New Caledonia and Fiji. The Loyalty Islands, which lie between the New Hebrides and New Caledonia, have d ready fallen into the hands of the French, and now it seems that there is a French project on foot for annexing the New Hebrides also. The project is an exceedingly likely one. The French know very well that, whether the British Government has an immediate intent'on of going beyond Fiji or not, it will certainly make an attempt to go beyond it sooner or later. Already Sir Arthur Cordon is Lord High Commissioner of Polynesia; and although this title is supposed to have a philanthropic rather than a political significance, it will probably turn out that if philanthropy is to mean anything Government will have to keep company with it. It is as natural that the French should seek to provide against the encroachments of the British as that the British sh mid provide igainst those of the French ; and since it is almost certain that the New Hebrides, which have some points of id vantage over any other islands in Polynesia, will fall into the hands of one >r other of the great Powers, the French cannot be found fault with for seeking to be first.

It is stated, however, that the natives of the New Hebrides do not want the French, ami that they dread the carryingout of the project that has been started, with a view to their annexation to Kranee. Any civilization there may be in the New Hebrides is largely the result of British influence, and it is stated that the natives are anxious to place themselves under the protection of the British flag. If there were nothing bevond this there would not lie much difficulty in dismissing the claim of the New Hebrides to the special consideration of Great Britain. But the increase >f French territory in the Pacific means something more than the extension of French rule. It is well known th.it the Island of New Caledonia is a penal settlement, and that the bringing of mother group of islands under the French flag may but afford larger facilities for the disposal of French •onviets. If such an arrangement would bo likely to affect France alone, the British Government could afford to look ipon the proposed French annexation of she New Hebrides with indifference. But the carrying-out of such :i project as the one that has been named would affect the interests of Great Britain as will as those of France. It is only hist year ihat a proposition was made to the effect chat permission should be given for the transference of si>; hundred French prisoners from Xew Caledonia to Australia. It is true that it was promised that these prisoners should be " d -portcs " nerely. and not criminals in the ordinary sense cf the term ; but the serious part of the business was that the Government of New Caledonia found itself in possession of hundreds of prisoners it was tuxious to part with, but who might not return to France. New groups of French islands in the Pacific would probably increase our chances of another such danger, as the one that threatened us kst year; and whether or not, they could open the way for the extension of a policy that cannot fail to give trouble to British subjects in the South Seas. New Caledonia has been something more than a distant retreat for political refugees, it has furnished a safe prison house for some of the most cowardly ruffians, and for some of the most atrocious felons of France. These colonies fought a long and troublesome battle years ago to rid these seas of the convicts of Great Britain, and they are not likely to look with satisfaction or composure at the making of the islands of the South Seas French instead of English penal settlements.

The proposal to annex the New Hebrides is not only the circumstance that has indicated of late that the annexation of Fiji will have to be regarded in the light of a general Polynesian policy that must be seriously considered and promptly acted upon in one way or another. A few weeks ago a question was put in the House of Commons respecting the annexation of Samoa. The reply, we believe!, was, that the British Government has no present intentions of increasing its territory in the South Seas. It is quite likely that a similar reply will follow the petition to annex the New Hebrides. The present Tory Government has consistently and boldly advocated the unity, and, when it has been necessary, the enlargement of the Empire. But this policy has recently given the Beacoiislield Government no end of trouble. The annexation of the Transvaal has by some been condemned as a robbery, and that of Fiji has been ridiculed as a failure. The annexation policy is by no means a popular one at home just now, and it is not at all likely that the attractions of the New Hebrides will be sufficient to make it popular. It may lie said that the French have .something mora serious to think about at present than the annexation of a group of islantis in the South Seas, and if not, that Great Britain will require a stronger motive for going into the Now Hebrides than the keeping of the French out. A large portion of the English Press has bwa vehemently condemning Russia

for her annexation policj i and it is not surpriatag; therefore, tli.it ii thouk) urge tin- necessity for caution in pursuing il similar policy fur ourselves, To the argument that the multiplication of French penal settlements in the South Seat must be a danger to the colonies, it j will be replied that that is a matter the I colonies should not leave entirely t<> the Home Government At present there is a prospect of the Government of Fiji costing the Imperial Government a large sum every war. No jwrt of this iletieit is borne by the colonies, nor have the colonies given any evidence of a disposition to bear any part of it. It is true that the hoisting of the British Hag on the islands of the New Hebrides would be all that would lie required to make them British territory; but simple as the process may be, it will be difficult to convince the authorities at home that another annexation in the Pacific will not add to the burdens that are already inconveniently large. It is impossible to deny that there is much force in this view of the case, and we may rest assured that, if the Imperial Government is to do much more in the way of annexation in the Pacific, .some understanding will have to be arrived at respecting the part that is to be taken by the colonies themselves. It is true that the interests of the colonics are identical with those of the mother country, but the converse of this is true also, and if the area of British rule in the Pacific is to be increased for the sake of the people of these colonies, as well as for that of the people of England, it is but just that the colonies should contribute their share of the cost. How this is to be done is a question that may possibly give rise to any amount of dispute, but if any thing is to come of petitions like the one that has gone to England it is a question that will have to be entertained and settled in some way or other. AVe believe that further annexations in the Pacific will soon be justified by the gravest reasons, if they are not justified by such reasons already. The cost of governing a territory three times the size of Fiji need not be very much larger than the present cost of go •.•ruing Fiji itself. It is almost certain that our going as far as we have gone in the Pacific will involve the necessity of our going farther. Whether we can afford to allow Fiji to be surrounded by other Powers, and to be encroached upon by a settlement like that of New Caledonia, is a matter which the Home Government will find itself unable to dismiss; but in the present state of public feeling in England, it is not likely that the II Oov.-rnment will do much unless it ha.-, in some shape. or other, the- sympathy and substantial assistance of the Governments of these colonic.