THE Thames Advertiser TUESDAY, JUNE 2,1885.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVI, Issue 5183, 2 June 1885, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser TUESDAY, JUNE 2,1885.

liTnE member;foi%CifcyW orfc l l asfc w P Md his constituent that he saw!no advantage,to be gained for-jtk,colony byitneannexation.of/tne/Fijis. Quite a number of our colonists lost their heads at the time Queensland made her vain attempt to annex New Guinea, We applauded the spirit/shown by bur neighbours, and. naturally wondered why New Zealand had not addedto her own importance by a; similar process. Map's were consulted whaste, and'gave the: information that of the islands with which the Pacifio. abounds, none of any importancFwefe nearer than Fiji and Samoa. ;; Straightway they were to become united to us. As re-" ppects the former, indeed,;it:was.already a Crown' might; be some'difficuity at home)' * iford'Derby's impassive immobility.would have to be encountered, and Samoa obtained most favbiirnßiit'wewere fleet of one ship remained in New Zea-land-waters, and the- Secretary; of State) hunted .up old engagements ithat 1 Were' sufficient; ; to, prevent' colonial.' interfere ence,especially at a time when sjiph. action.might: onlyhaveUdded'stoiithe tliffibulties'/: of* ! the"; mother /r bi'pviglii alip.ufc'. by'; o the r; cd mp;| icatipnS; ! p'pwem,,^-'Enthusiasm, Biackened^the'Samoanscheme. was lost; plghfc of "for aXtimej'and th9;a'une^ation v of to' ; Thisis,' lioweTOr,-no; nes. in 1858, proposed to cede it. ;■ Colonel Smythb "reported against the propdsition;'■ for, 'its■.annexation' to 'Britain in .1859 j ' and ,it''wasi ; ,not 'i-vtill-Fiji had become' the opprobrium hi the" ;SputhW !i seas^' that it; Vas made V'Cro^n.l^olpny, '.'<yfi; wonder, when vwe ; regard, its < form .of i government, that considerable, dissatis: 1 i faction now 1 prevails.' 'Sir J.'Vd'gel'yas in office,in, New -Zealand atithe'tirae i the cession of/.fiji.was accepted,:and offered the aid of this colony, in-its government,' but Lord him pretty plainly ''that'' though the itioney aid of the colony might betaken to meet any deficiency'' in- Ejian revenue, yet it must bo distinctly' on' the condition that Now.'Zealand had no power or voice in the government. The state papers announcing; this are porfoct curiosities in their way. A little deficiency did: arise, and 'New Zealand and the other colonies refused to moot it. Intercolonial federation iwts recommended from home then, and has not been attained yet. a Crown colony and 'the result is shown at a public meeting hold at Levuka on the 28th March last, when Mr Lediugham, apparently with the. full ■■■ concurrence of what is reported as a crowded and enthusiastic meeting, characterised the late High ~ Commissioners -Sir Arthur Gordon and "Sir William, Des Vceux—as devils. The moot'ing wasjfcallod to advocate the an*

nexation of tho islands.to New,-. Zealand,' and possibly owed/it:origin^ to;,a telegram from London 'asserting;i that J..8. Thurston, bad' advocated the annexatioti^Mf,.i!E|iji' : tp New Zealand in a paper read the Royal Colonial Institute,- but as' the last mail brought no account of such advocacy,-but did give a .notice (of Mr Thurston's address at the Institute on «s<& Zealand iratfef.witV tte'lSdutli"Seas"—the telegram was probably a mistake;and had 'it: ttofc - beetf-tbat' the wish was' father to the thought, the meeting would not have been held, or afc-leasfr some 'modification' inthe' wording of the resolution rau'stOhave been made; and for this reason, it was felt that any-coursei advocated-' by: Mr Tlmrstoji would L . 'carrjr;. more weight with the Home Government than that •givenjby any other map;;| Spline of the l iTasons ; fpr,seeking,tlie;,connection,with iNew Zealand; were Mentioned,' at till jmeetinginiquestionj one of the speakers stating: that;* New, 'Zealand Mi been' jlong anxious to'extend' 'lier power and jinfluence in these seas... Closer political iand commercial, connection.,with the [South Sea Islands had been } an object !kepti , stea , dily r 'inHview by' Sir'Juliu's : ,Vogel for many years, and if, as was anticipated,- .'jt,;,now.;.met .-.with; his jpowerful advocacy,'-there was- every '.reason, to -'.'expect 0 subeesß.' ■' Ariothert (pointed out •' some .of.. the j ailyantagW ;tliat,would :she Receded' tothe request;-, and showed 'that the benefits would ; 'be f 'mutual;' 1 ;"If/' ! 'fe ! fiaii3;;."N^^la^^*l jtake,themvin';hM I would 'be incalcaable,'but f on the lother-.tod-V the' 'benefits ;i to". ;New,;' i Zeala"nd pquM.alsb';be ,material,';;;, ;pnce aequire'.fchat in tiio South Seas for which she-has striyenj'sp long."' ;Sh'eiwould' ! obtaln':'an, outlet'' for 'her '' an'd' a'; 'A6w, pnrchaseiv for her. productions,' since her.'j trade with;-the ■ group \ would: increase as to secure'fbrher at'leastihe; great, bulk'of'it,; but ; a .small; portion, ''exchanges 'wouldiib.e: r)qne'ficia'l:f.to^'both ; '\coloriies, i jwithout incurring cost to either. 1 -They iwpuld receive from New Zealand, the, 'much'needed! political assistance iti'the shapo of suchia simple,form of,,go,vemment as would,not,.like the present pystem, crush the'i life: out of them. Their -industries'i -would revive under the influence of.'tho opekmavketsNew Zealand would provide/for |;their pro|luce,'|while they-'would-giye in Udr;iCOfflmerc3',; of (.the incorporating colony. If the annexation took place it" would- be: of:: greater/importance' to them certainly, aiidj as ;: he' had said, he believed the effect" would: be little less! than •magical, -i Itswouldc.secure .an influx of; population 'and capital, ! all that was,y necessary.; tpr the of the group/ They..had land, ol wonderful fertility, 1 and '-'every element df wealth and urospority,' but these they'cpuicl only realise« 'whenj under'.tlio; guidance of they ,were; free,.p'f';;tn,e ; restrictions:which;now hampereditheia: in.every direction.",„ ; The project of SirHuliiis vfdgel'jyeari, ago to annex the largely by New' Hi^dpkfeJ^ B jikely to become how, however, although a Fijian cpraesj pondent, ~pf,. the ../|A;rguß' staW'lhati'Some of; the.anhabitia'nfcs prefer or' New South' Wale'sj' , 'atjd i Suyay". though' they would "prefer ''either 'of latter .colonies, yet.they .would vote ipr the","New "Zealand" connection'rather, than '^remain' 1 'as'''/they/;are;' ; ' 'Thore certainly seems more.probability,of;the English Government agreeingtosuoha course /than • and it therefore becOrnes I '' necesSary ( ;;for;' r our public. to.; weigh',;well*/the that; may; possibly : a decision as to .whether, the")'game,;is'. worth'the oa'ndle.' shall await'thd, publication ;bf"the.replies -Of : Sir'Geo'/ Grey,;sir! Stbui Majoi ; Atkinson, tb :the appeals made to' bach•of ! them , -'to-! aid j the movement witliiConsiderable.iriteresJ/^