Postal Convention.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5080, 14 August 1884, Page 3

Postal Convention.

How South Sea Natives Get Fire-Anns. A Wild Charge.

[Special to Press Association.]

LONDON", August 12. Mr Fawcett, Postmaster-General, lias expressed a hope that the Australian Colonies will send practical delegates to represent them at the Postal Convention, to be held shortly at Lisbon. Lord Derby has again been urged to include the Pacific Islands in his Annexation scheme, but has declined to accede to the request. Colonel Eomilly, Deputy-Chairman of the Customs Board, condemns the action of the German Government in supplying Snider rifles to the native inhabitants of New Britain and New Ireland. Sir Saul Samuel, Agent-General for New South "Wales, acting under instructions from his Government, is strongly urging the delay of the Federation Enabling Bill until the New South Wales Parliament have considered the resolutions passed by the recent Australasian Convention. Lord Derby is impressed with the wisdom of this step. LONDON, August 13. The Hon Evelyn Ashley, Coonlial Under-Secretary, will shortly confer with Mr F. N. Broome, Governor of Western Australia, with a view to the prevention of kidnapping among pearl fishers. A Fiji planter, writing to the Times, alleges that Sir Arthur Gordon's administration among the Islanders has reduced them to a life of hopeless slavery. The Times doubts this assertion. The German Press are furious at the annexation of the Walvisch Bay district by the Cape Colony. Colonel F. Romilly states that many natives, both from New Britain and New Ireland, have been kidnapped into Queensland.