THE SOOTH SEA ISLANDS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 23 July 1888, Page 3

THE SOOTH SEA ISLANDS.

j The Bishop of Duned n, m ,\ letter to "ITho Times" of April £7 h, explore-? the I opinion thfit it ia only a question of t ; me for all the Islands Bouth ot tho Line to be praetioiUy under our our d smlnaiion. The rapid development of Australia and New Z jalacd, he atiya will Insure this. He oannofc thi&k that a few yeara horca it will pay any European Power to compete with those countries for any trade the inlands mip efford. While holding this opinion, ho does not thluk that tho question of ownership la Ininiiterial ; o:i tho contrary, it Is abondßn'ly evident that tbe c'aima cf oiher P. wors — oven when really baaeleai— give rlee to compli options and expeuai'S— tn cay no'hinsr of 'he eohemaa of private individuals '* For politio.il. and ofier reasons," he add?, M it would be well if our really paramount claims to the Government of tbe whole sJonch P* ifio oou'd ba acknowledged or arranged for ; bot perhaps thla is too muoh to expeot, though I know from formal interviews I have held at tholr desire with native rulers and their oounoih j that this ia what the inhabitants of the islands most of all desire. Our present English Government ia well Informs J, and can bo tras'-ed. Spanking aa a man of religion, I ooald wish tha*. the petitions addressed to us for protection by tho K'ogs of Simia and other talands could have been favorably heard." :