Affairs at Madagascar.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 15, 14 July 1883, Page 3

Affairs at Madagascar.

■ : ♦*"" *-* . .In pur last issue we publis ' ed a resume ', ..of "i stat«nient mad© by Mr Gladstone in. the House of Commons with reference to - — certain -mciTilities^practised on English: naval 'officers' by the French in possession of tbe town of Tamatave, Madagascar. - !Th6 l -following" extract from the _3ritish ; - ; ' Mail . trill assist ' to throw : some ' Ugh t on the subject/hy showing how French and 'English commercial in tei-^sts 'are in op- ' positionon the island. '! The'" fact of tho H.M.S. Dryad's arrival being looked forward to with pleasure is ominously suggestive in the light of the information we have, .since received' 'by wire: \ The - -.-. 'Government-, of fche Queen of Madagas- '■'- '"oar, in order to maintain peace with the ' ' Powers of Europe and America, called ' -* together - on Jan 2. a meeting of all the foreigners who were then in the capital, ■ ■ ._ atfdVid dressed thcta as follows *— " I — hare- caUedr you together-en account of the many r.ports ; in the newspapers about • v the negotiations between the Ambassa-.doj-g aijd the French Government having __ .bPflßjhrofen pff. . Had there been any of yout consuls-here, I should have comaaunicated -with them, but in the absence' - :■;. Act any official representatives I have asked you tb ; come here.- ..The rupture of negotiations above referred to has somewhat excited the people, and, although the Queen's' Government will givej you all possible -proleo tion, you are requested, nevertheless, not to venture any jgreat distance'froifr the capital/ as many of the - n people are still- barbarous,.' All the '~ foreigners assembled there thanked the Government, and expressed their sympathy with it. Th.c principal French j m^i*fcliiStVaio^V"'_?raiim)cotnh.erc has been, r makinff great progress in Madagascar, 'ariiVe shall' he* very sorry fo hear tha? our Government are acting in such a nvayi. ' :; "f if'W&ht&Tt.' ; 1 Ti^^rfh'.ifti. | Eng- -. . -o? l'-";i'nr>l*Ji YiJ":'l .L. •■ , !«• R' liih .merr.li an! «P» M - — 1 English ;e.ihZ.yWSoe , and interests, in Madagascar 'are Mijgtnit-vaA dn. sthat account, .wte hav6 no "-'''ttoxiisty, becausey ou* ' Gorertfirtenti will ' y R f&fc'atipw* our 'coniiqerce to'be .sacrificed, ,;(J whaUy(ir^jh^ ;the'o motives bT "France's.

j jou will equai!}' endanger our interests." The mi-rchants of eveiy nation, while referring to thoir respective commercial interests, expressed tho ho;>e that their Governments wo'ild take the matter into consideration. The arrival of- Her Majesty's ship Dryad is looked forward to with great pleasure. Several tribes which France pretends are .mder her protection have joined the national cause against France and sided with there Queen. There are 200,000 natires ready to carry on war with France." Since the above date the French " bombarded" Tamatave with very little result beyond the burning of a few houses. [Since the above was in type we learn that the French Government are disposed to grant reparation i'or the outrage on British officials and naval officers in Madagascar.]