The Globe. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1874.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 45, 22 July 1874, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1874.

It is evident that the Premier has a hankering after the Eiji Islands. He laid a large batch of papers regarding the group on the table of the House the other night, and then proceeded to inform the members what course the Government proposed to take upon the subject. The idea appears to be, that the Government of New Zealand should subsidise a commercial company, whose business it w r ould be to deal with the Polynesian Islands. The Premier then went on to state that he did not know whether the Government were going on with this question during the present session, but that the question was of great importance to New Zealand, and deserved the attention of hon. members. If the question of the annexation ol Piji be definitely settled, and the English flag flying over the islands, then we can imagine a company whose dealings with the group might be profitable; but we doubt much if shareholders could at present be found to form a company for the purpose of trading with the Islands in their present state. They produce a certain quantity of magnificent cotton, and a small amount of indifferent sugar, and the present state of these industries is not progressive, as the difficulty of obtaining labor is now very great. The information we have lately received from England, leads us to the conclusion that annexation is most probable, though it is as yet by no means certain, and with annexation will come settlement of the various Islands, the establishment of a bank or banks, and other matters necessary to the wellbeing of a district inhabited by Europeans. Then trading will be legitimately carried on, and New Zealand ought to be ahead of the rival Australian colonies in making a bid for the business that will flow to and from Levuka. We have the advantage of position as far as ports go, shall we have the advantage of that energy that enables the Melbourne merchants to send their agents down here to this Middle Island of New r Zealand, and to the shame of our local firms, enables Melbourne to undersell them in these markets ? If we cannot find energy of this sort, a subsidy to a Polynesian trading company is simply a tax on enterprise and adventurous spirits, and it will probably not benefit the proposed company so much, as it will hinder trade being extended by realty “ cute,” persevering men of business from Australia. Mr Vogel went on to say that the day would come when the Governor of New Zealand would be also Governor General of the Polynesian Islands ! Heaven forbid ! we have had enough of the “native question,” and we don’t want any more embroilments; and if the fact Mr Vogel thinks so desirable were to come true, the Middle Island, if it is still prosperous, might find itself in a few years paying for another native war in the interior of Viti Levu. Let the Polynesian group have their own Governor, if such au official is considered requisite ; but defeud us from being in any way connected with Eiji, beyond the fact of ffs being a British Colony equally with New Zealand.

We regrot that in consequence of an incorrect report being furnished to us, we should have reflected on the conduct of the immigration department, in the matter of the German immigrants forwarded to the Oxford depot. The affair appears to have been a great deal exaggerated, and the travellers were not compelled to put up with any hardship, beyond that of having to spend an uncomfortable night at Eaugiora. The people iu question told his Honor the Superintendent that they were well satisfied with the treatment they had received on the road.