FRENCH CLAIMS IN THE PACIFIC.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1806, 2 February 1884, Page 4

FRENCH CLAIMS IN THE PACIFIC.

Replying to an enquiry by the AgentsGeneral as to tins extent to which the claims of Foieign Powers in the Western Pacific were recognised by the Impenal Go\ eminent, Lord Dei by recently ex picssed doubts as to whether there really was so much uncertainty or absence ot infounatiou on this subject in the colonies as was professed. He w ent on to explain that the best-known and most frequented groups of islands had already such rehtions witli Foreign l'nwois, in common with England, as would constitute aveij serious impediment to tlwit " complete jurisdiction" which the colonies desired the Imperial Government to assume over the Western Pacific. Loid Dei by made some vefcience to the possession by Fiance of New Caledonia and its dependency, the Loyalty Islands, but was altogether silent in regard to tli" inn -h more extensive claims advanced bv the Republic in the Kistein Pacific, ( Most people are aware that the Island of Tahiti is the scat of the cential government of the French establish nents in the Kastein Pacific, but with lespect to wh.it that central government really eompi lsed much igooiancc has always pre\ ailed. Tlie Fiench were believed to lia\e put foi u aid certain inchoate claims to islands adjicent to Tahiti, but they wcie not fully recognised, and on the most authoiititivc maps of the Pacific the colouis denoting nationality indicated the existence of this doubt. The Join n.il Oftiuei of Palis has iccently published a complete statement of Fiench possessions thionghout the world, accompanied with much inteiesting mfoimation with legatd to the peculiar features of the vat ions colonies It also indicates certain political considerations, which in the past appiai to have been o\ei looked by the Colonial Governments, and possibly by that of Great Butain. At the end of ISSO, ■-> law seems to ha\ c passed the French Chambeis formally annexing Tahiti and its dependencies. The definition of the lattei term apppeais to ha\e been made suftieiently liberal to embiaec islands as fai south as liapa or Opaio, which, il is assailed by competent authouties in England, ccitainly nevci owed allegiance to Queen Pomaie. The French now claim Tahiti and its immediate dependencies, Moorea, Tetiaioa, and Meetia, the whole of the Low Aichipelago, Tubuai, and Rai\a\ae, or Ynitao, as it is called on some maps, two principal islands of the Austial Gioup, the Gamlnei gionp, the Maiquesas, and Kapa, upwaids ot 100 islands m fact. Then flag al&o floats o\ei llaiatea, one of the Leew ai d Islands, w Inch they sc 1 a d in ISSO, in defiance of the convention witli England in 1047, which expicssly seemed the° independence of Hualnne, Raiatea, and Boiaboia. The po^ess'on of tiiese iblands places Fiance in command of the chief strategic positions in the KKem Pacific. When the Panama Canal will be cut, in ISSS, these groups will be neaiei to Eiuope than any possessions Gieat Butain holds in the Western Pacific. Opaia, it may be lcmembeied, was a poit of call when the Panama mail steameis ian to and fiom New Zealand The Agent Gencia! foi New Zealand lias diiectcd the attention of the Colonial Oiiic to the appaiently ofheial declaration of Fieneh claims advanced in the Jomnal D/timl, and Ins asked Lord Derby to st.ite how fa they aic lecog ni&ed by the Tmpeual Government. Possibly 'the Secietaiy of State may enclose him a copy of Consul Millet's icpoit inspecting Tahiti and the Society Islands foi IST*). This, at any late, shows that Her Majesty's oihciah w ci u not ignorant of the extent of Fiench claims in the Eastern Pacific as fai back as that yeai. Raiatea has, it is tine, been seized since, but the bioad lines of Fiench soveingnty were clcaily indicated by Mr Miller. How far they have been lccoginsed by the Impel lal (Jo\ eminent is, of coiuse, another matter. The Hupenor Colonial Counul, which the Minister of Maimo in Fiance has created, to assist him in the pieparation and execution of the numcioiH schemes ot lefoim which aic to be adopted in ouler to muease the ptospi-iity ot the French colonies, has held its nianguial meeting. Adinii.il Peyton made an nnpoi taut speech on the occasion. He described the colonies not only as military posts wheie the flag of Fiance is hoisted, and which it suffices to gnat d as points ft om which supplies, can be dia-vn, but inoi e especially as fi actions of Fiance herself, " scatteicd all o\ei the globe to leceivc and spiead abioad the civilising ideas of the mother countiy."' In oidei to facilitate the woik of the Cound'l, it was decided that it should be subdivided into four sections— sci tion 1, to uport on colonial legislation in i,'tncial, civi! and penal legislation, pul-lio insli uclion, and pulilic wot -ship; section m 2, on finance, conimeice, and mdnsti\; section 15, on fiee and penal colonisation and linniigiation ; section t. O.i pulilic wotks, means of tian-poit, and posts and telegiaphs. — Exchange.

Tut; annual cost value of butter and cheese pioduced in tlic United States is £03,000,000. 423,000, 0001bs of cheese aie made e\ cry year in the Unit"d States. Otago Bible Society has dining the last 20 yean distubuted o\er 20,000 copies of the Sciiptiues. PumU'D di esses for actresses aie in great \ogue in Ameiica. Mi^s Mary Ai.dei«on, who is now pi lying at tho Lyceum, lias a blnJi \el\et and satm dies', that was painted by an aitistfiicnd in Syracuse. This kind of woi kis mostly executed in oils, and .some of the designs aic \eiy eccentric. Tasm\m\.\s giatifjing progiess and j)rospenty are indicated bv lier postal letiuns. Couespondence, inwaid and outwaicls, has ueaily tiebled within the past ten yeais. Ax old blacUfollow in Mouth Australia Ins owned to the niuid'i of a female child, saved fiom tho wreck of the Maiia on Cooiong Beach, foity years ago. A JEM u,E thief in Nottingham de camped with a, caipot bag, but on opening it discovered only human lemains pieseived in spiiits of wine. The .sa\oiy aiticle of luggage was the pror-ei ty of a medical man. A shockim: case of a&suilt on a gill 11 years of age is leported fioin Newcastle (N S.W.) The assailant Mas a music master, and he lost his temper because the child did not play correctly. He attacked her savagely, tore the skin off her aims, pulled out handfulsof her hair, and so biutually ill used the child that it ■will be some time before she lecoveis Nothing can excuse him (says a contemporaiy) but the fact of his being a music teacher. Lifk ix thjl; Bu.sn— Tiilx axd Now. — It is generall) supposed that in (he bush we have to put up with niam discorr'bris and prnations in the shape of food Formerly it was so, but now, thanks to 1. 15. lljil, who has himselt dwelt in the bush, if food docs consist chiefly of tinned mrats his Coi on £AL Sauci. gixes to them a most delectable flavour, making them as well of the plainest food most enjoj able, and instead as hard biscuits and indigestible damper his Imi'kovfd Cor o\ i al Baking Pow'dfr makes the very best bread, scones, cakes, and pastry far superior and more wholesome than icast or leaven. Sold bj all storekeepers who can ob;iin it from any merchant in Auckland. The Stkaxgi-r ix Loxdox. — That the Great City will ere long be hardly recognisable by Us formei deni/ns, all the world lias heard Ibc visitor pnssiner up the Ih'imes now finds his eye gratified by the many edifices recent]} erected. As lie reachos the famous Victoria Emban'tment. theie rises over him on the right hand the new Tunes office, and on the left hand the new n >\er- crowned works of Mtssrs Tamis Epps I Co , both phases of Italian architecture. It nwv he said that tlip«c two buildings are tvp f "> oCi'ie far reacli'iitr business energy of the nineteen hceniury, for it has resulted from sue a means that these two establishments ha\e brought themselves to the foie, and that the annual issue of each has come to be estimated by millions. During the last \car, the number of copies of the lunrs i-> estimated at 1(i,27G,000, while the number of packets oi Epps Cocoa sent off in the same period is computed ?t 1* 749,605. The latter is a laiae io'al, when it is borne in mind that in 1830 the consumption of Cocoa throughout the whole kingdom was but 426,382 lbs,, there then existing no preparation of it such as this, which by the Jsimplc addition of boiling water would yield a palatable drink. Truly time may be said work many changes,