FEEJEE ISLANDS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1338, 14 June 1859, Page 5

FEEJEE ISLANDS.

Minutes of the proceedings taken at a meeting held a 5, Cannon street, London, on the 7tn day of March, 1859, for the purpose of taking into consideration the cession of the Feejee Is lands to Her Majesty's Government, as proposed by the chief of those Islands :— There" wore present at the meeting—J. Bayley Esq., M.P. ; Lord A. Churchill, M.P..; Edward Hamilton ; Esq.,; Sir 11. W. Parker; W. Pritchard Esq., (present as a visitor); Robert Towns, Esq.,; W. C. Wentworth, Esq.,; A. W Young, Esq., M.P. Mr. Wentworth was requested to take the chair. The Chairman then called upon Mr. Llyod, to explain to the meeting the cause of there being called together. Mr. Lloyd then proceeded to state that the King of the Feejee Islands had been called upon to pay about £9000 (English) to certain American citizens for alleged injuries sustained from the Natives; that he is not, however, in. a position to satisfy this claim, but is threatened that, unless the amount be paid before October, 1859, measures would be resorted to fur obtaining satisfaction in other ways. "That the king, aware of his inabilities to meet the demand within the specified time, offers to cede the sovereignty of the country (j. c. the whole group of the Feejee Islands) to the British Crown, and to grant 200,000 acres of his territory for the £9000, and 200,000 lot colonial purposes, in fee simple. The British Government, iv return, to pay the £9000 demaucled by the American Government :— " That the meeting had been' called for the purpose of considering the propriety of urging upon her Majesty's Government the expediency of accepting tho above offer,'and determining upon the mode of proceeding." "That Mr. Hritchard, the cousul at the islands was present to afford them every information they might require with reference to the matter." Mr. Llyod further staled that the islands are well watered, and the soil good. Timber abounds, and the coast is adapted for the approach and anchorage of shipping. The population is 200,000, of wliich one*thiid are professing Christians, and the inhabitants are intelligent and inclined to labour. ■ Tlfese islands form the centre of the Polynesian groups arid will bo of great importance to Government should the route to tho Australian colonies via Panama hi adopted. The imports from September, 1857, to September, 1553, were in American vessels only about £20,000 ; and the exports about £32,000. A cottqji beariiv tree is indigenous, and a very considerable" trade might be carried on in that article. Mr. Pritchard thinks that as much as 1500 lbs. might be collected from what is growing wild on the islands. If the French government, who have now possession of New Caledonia, Tahiti, and the Marquesas Group, were also to take theFcejees it would be au excuse for their increasing their navy in those seas:'they already had a large -force at New Caledonia, besides that stationed' at Tahiti ; for ihe;c reasons tho acceptance of the king'sjoli'ei' seemed advisable. Lord A. Churchill, Mr. E. Hamilton,'and Sir Henry Parker then asked Mr. .Pritchard some questions respecting the power of the King to cede the islands, nud other subjects. , Upon which Mr. Pritchard stated that the principal chief's wore willing to give up the island, though a few petty chiefs who were personally unfriendly to the king, might be opposed to the scheme. The natives were nt present liable to have all tho results of their labour taken from them by their chiefs, and he thought that, if they were inclined to work under such circumstances, they would be still more so if they could obtaiu a fair fenumeration for their labour, and could rely upon enjoying what they earned., This would bo insured to them if the island was ruled and protected by the British Government. On the largest island there are over five millions of acres fit for cultivation. The principal imports are.Manchester goods, guns, powder, «cc , and the chief exports are cocoa-nut oil, beche-le-mer, and tortoise shell. The harbours would accommodate vessels of almost, any tonnage and are easy of access; they are formed by coral reefs of which, . however, the positions are known, The climate is siilubiious; of 400,000 acres above-mentioned as made over to Government, 200,000 ure ceded specially to public purposes, and tho remaining 200,000 acres considered as a direct equivalent for tho sum actually advanced by the British Government. That, with regard to the Government staff in the islands, ho proposed to have one gentleman as chief, with two secretaries under him ; this staff, backed liy two well-manned gunboats, would be sufficient for all: prcsentrcquirements as far as the.native population issoncerued.

Mr. Bayloy was then called upon by tho chairman to explain to tho meeting tho value of the cotton which Mr. Piitchaid had brought over as v specimen.

He stated in reply that it was of a class which would be very serviceable for general Use, though not quite equal to the very best description known*as sea island cotton;--large quantities of it would bo used, and it would be liked by the Lancashire manufacttrcrs. . The cotton being he had no doubt it would flourish and greatly increase, as, althoiigh *it;is ] not itidegcnous to the United States, and has been cultivated here only comparatively of late years; the returns to thc.lultcr country from Jlio exports of cotton are at present forty millions annually. He thought' the Fcejec 'cotton of the same class as that from Moreton Bay,- wliich is very superior; and he was of opinion that' the plant! is always finest iii a. moist atmosphere, or n the neighbourhood ofthe sea. Hecalculatid that the value of the'eottou was about 9cl. peril).; that of the United States is 4d., and upwards, per lb. It would be adapted lor line linen shirts, underclothing, sheetings, &c. The MauehesterCbamber of Commerce would not be disposed to urge the Government to accept the cession, as they would rather not interfere in the political phase ofthe matter.'al though they would be glad to forward it in a commercial point of view ; their reason being that, some years ago, when Sir James Brooke was urging on the British Government the expediency of taking possession of Labuau, the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, in consequence of his having informed ihein that a large amount of cotton would be produced there, had pressed the question upon the Government, and had, in a measure, being instrumental in bringing about the establishment ofthe settlement. Since that time, however, no cotton had been received from Labuan, and the Chamber of Commerce felt that they had somewhat misled the Government in-the matter,-and it was not their intention, theiefore, ag.iin ti interfere, politically, iv such questions. At the request of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Lord Clarendon had also sent out circulars to the various governors and consuls in the Pacific, requesting that specimens of cotton from the islands, and other places where it was grown, might be transmitted to him ; and he hail no hesitation in saying that, of the specimens sent, the Feejee was unquestionably the best. The Manchester Cotton Supply Association would be glad to send out improved maohiueiy for cleaning cotton, and would be happy to further the scheme in its commercial respect. At the motion of Mr. E. Hamilton the meeting proceeded to consider the best mode of bringing the subject under the attention of the Government: and Lord A. Churchill proposed that a deputation should have an interview with the authorities at the Foreign Office on the subject.

Mr. Bayley proposed that Lord A. Churchill and Mr. Young should see Mr. Filzgerald, in a friendly way, as a preliminary. This proposal was agreed to.

The meeting then separated, with the understanding that a fresh meeting would be convened, should circumstances reudec such a step' necessary or desirable.