PACIFIC FEDERAL CONGRESS.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 552, 25 March 1876, Page 3

PACIFIC FEDERAL CONGRESS.

To the Editor of the Oloibe. Sir, Carlyle somewhere says, “ The English are a great dumb nation.” They heave along in a silent way, without talk or bluster, or the paraphernalia of scenic processions, and in silence adopt ideas, changes, startling changes sometimes ; but all this, without noise or show, in a dumb way. Was there ever so emphatic a proof of all this, as .‘a the Pacific Federal Congress just held at Melbourne, not by any means the first Federal Congress—for there have been already congresses about such trifling matters as the Frisco Mail, the Pacific Cable, Postal arrangements and services generally, &c, &c, and all the while the English journals, are holding forth in the high-faluting style about federation of races, federation at the Cape, federation in Canada. Meantime, in our dumb way—not even taking the trouble ti elect a Deputy or Commissioner for New Zealand—we step in per the person of the Premier, we appropriate the telegraph for four hours, and do wonderful things. The Premier has been bre iking the law on subsidy, and feels a little uncomfortable

about the consequences. Let us have a Pacific Federal Congress, and see if we can’t adjust this error. How ? Well, Fiji is not represented, so let us tax her £SOOO a year ; still, that does not get him out of the mess of a broken law. Well, let me see. There is New Caledonia, a French colony—suppose I tax her. There is one thing as she is not represented ; she can’t object at present, and perhaps when she finds I have charged her with subsidy, she will do like the Canterbury tradesmen and mechanics, when I tax them, and let all the squatters and large landholders go free, “grin and bear it.” “De I’audace, encorede I’udace, toujours de I’audace’’ —Impudence, more impudence, impudence forever—so said one of the celebrated French revolutionists, and I recommend this as an excellent motto for the coat of arms of our new nobleman, but the dumb English stare on, all unconscious that one of the grandest facts of modern history stands out un fait accompli. The federation of the Pacific, including the French colonies, presently to add a cable more I suppose, to the postal tie that binds us together, and eventually no doubt to follow Louisiana’s example of obsorption. But really, Mr Editor, I think it is time, as the sailors say, to put a stopper upon the Premier, if we are to have a Pacific Federal Congress, let us have our representatives properly chosen on all sides, not a self-appointed one, but three for each island of New Zealand to meet say three from each colony in Australia and Polynesia. We should then have six from New Zealand, eighteen for all Australia, counting the northern territory as a separate colony, three from Fiji, three from Caledonia. Thus we would have a congress of thirty members to take control of all Polynesia, Papua included, and to relieve the Colonial Office of all care in this direction it would be as well to let them choose a chairman as President from among themselves. This would be a far more prudent manner of ruling the Pacific, than either Sir Julius Vogel with his Polynesian South Sea Scheme or Filibustering as proposed to New Guinea, or leaving the Colonial Office to bungle and destroy colonisation, as it has always done. A Pacific Federal Congress could find hard work to settle tariffs and negotiate a better thing than Disraeli’s Suez shares, i.e,, the Nicarague Canal, which the United States are determined to do at twelve millions (ie , 60,000,000 dollars). Let England guarantee interest, four millions ; United States, s'x millions (as receiving most benefit) ; and the Pacific Congress, two millions ; and so the money being raised, we should find no need to weather the Horn or the Cape of Good Hope, and every vessel trading to New Zealand would with auxiliary screw make three voyages for two—that is, 50 per cent, extra freight for the same yearly wage an! interest on outlay. It would be easj to prove that Federalia would make a profit equal to the whole two millions in twenty years, besides the risk saved and losses too possibly. Such a Congress could take up questions such as uniform and condensed laws, steam services, cables to Caledonia, Fiji, Sandwich, and Frisco to Papua, and probably could manage Fiji without a military settlement, the pest of any colony ; could discuss an Agrarian Law of say 1000 acres in New Zealand, 200 acres in Fiji, and 2000 acres in certain districts inland in Australia ; could act for Samoa, the New Hebrides, and the Great Solomon Isles, &c, &c, &c. The great dumb people are doing all this without talking, heaving along in a silent way into a new continent, gifted indeed by nature with a wealth that embraces every climate, whose grandeur will just begin to gild the political horizon as the fading beauty of old England wanes and dies extinguished by the brighter radiance of the Greater Britain of the South. What a pity that we see on every hand this slavish worship of the new god of the nineteenth century, “ Almighty Dollar,” realising the prophecy of the distasteful heathen— Nullum numen habes, si sit prudentia, sedte, Nos facimus, Fortuna, Deam, coeloque locamus, Yours, &c,, J. W. TREADWELL.