The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 1862. THE FIJI ISLANDS.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1725, 20 September 1862, Page 3

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 1862. THE FIJI ISLANDS.

ito just and (ear not; Let all the en Is thou aim's! at, be thv Country'!, Thy God's, ;>ih! Truth's.

A Blue Book of unusual interest, containing correspondence relative to the Fiji Islands, lias just been published; (bo papers were presented to the Imperial Parliament in the month of May last. In .Juno, 1860, (Ik: ketch Pegasus left Auckland for Fiji, carrying Colonel Smythe, (lie Commissioner appointed to visit, the Islands and to report "whether it would Ik.' "expedient, that Her Majesty's Government " should accept an offer which has been made, "to cede to Her Majesty the sovereignty "over the Fiji Islands in the Pacific Ocean." We published at length, in* our last issue, the letter of instruction to Colonel Smythe from the Duke of Newcastle, and the repart of the Commissioner, in which Colonel Smythe gives it as his opinion that it would not be expedient for Her Majesty to accept the oiler of sovereignty which had been made, and with that opinion the British Government has formally expressed its concurrence. The other papers are too voluminous to reprint in extenso; amongst them is a long and interesting report upon " the vegetable "productions and resources of the Vitian or Fijian Islands," by Dr. Socman, from which we propose from time to time to to make extracts; meantime, a summary of the facts connected with the recent movements in Fiji may not be without interest. The Islands lie, as it were, at our door, and we had even at one time established some small commercial relations with them, which it may hereafter be found to be our interest to revive. In the Fiji Islands Great Britain has a representative in the person of Mr. Consul Pritchard —a bold, active, clever officer, somewhat given, apparently, to intrigue, and pleased to live in perpetual hot water, into which on more than one occasion he has succeeded in plunging his principals. Mr. Pritchard has faith in " annexation," and has striven hard to add Fiji to the Colonial plagues of Great Britain. In 1858, Tiiakombau, "by the grace of God Sovereign Chief of Ban and its dependencies," was graciously pleased to put his "mark" to a proclamation in which, after setting out the financial difficulties of his i position, His Majesty codes to tho Queen of \ Fuifhuu! hji l -: "sovereignty," r,nd 200,000 acres

of land, upon condition that the " aforesaid Victoria" shall undertake to pay to her cousin Jonathan a little bill of 45,000 dollars, which some smart citizens of the United States had. ingeniously contrived to elevate to the dignity of a national claim.

The history of this debt is curious. On the 4th July,* 1849, Mr. J. 13. Williams, the American Consul, was doing all honour to that memorable anniversary, at his residence at Nukulau. The firing of guns, of course, formed a portion of the demonstration: in the midst of it the Consul's house took fire, and natives who came to assist were tempted to pillage: some goods were stolen, some were burnt. Mr. Williams, with singular accuracy and coolness, was able, amidst the confusion, to ascertain that the value of the properly stolen was 5000 dollars and 3H cents. And for this sum he made a claim in compensation upon the natives, as soon as an American ship of war called at the islands. The Captain referred Mr. Williams's claim to arbitration, but the award was not favourable to the Consul.

Shortly afterwards a "difficulty" between the whites and the Natives resulted in the distinction of the settlement of Levuka. It pleased the " whites" to believe that Thakombau hnd instigated the attack upon Levuka, although that potentate indignantly denied the charge. Commander Boutwell of the U.S. ship "John Adams," now appears upon the scene, and new claims for compensation are laid before him. Thakoinbau is made to appear to be the delinquent, and Commander Boutwell, who is the ideal of "vigorous prosecution," demands 30,000 dollars from the unfortunate king; cautionshiin to "settle" speedily so as to avoid the necessity of" going after" him, the consequences of which were signiliciently hinted following words of the gallant officer —"my powder is quick and my bulls are round." l\y the simple process of dropping the cents and multiplying by three the claim of Mr. J.B.Williams now mounted to 15,000 dollars, and was afterwards raised to 18,331 dollars, and this Thakambau was condemned to pay, together with 15,000 dollars which were added to ilie original demand in consequence of the impertinent remonstrances ofa Wesleyan Missionary who believed that great injustice was being done to the natives, aud who was not afraid to say so. In his strait, Thakambau turned to Queen Victoria. Indefatigable Mr. Pritchard took home to England the proposal for the cession oft he islands on the condition that the 45,000 dollars should be paid by Great Britain, aad urged the authorities to accept the oiler. The result was thj sending out of Colonel Shrythc as Commissioner. It was found, upon investigation, that Thakambau had no sovereignty to cede, and for this as well as for,the other sufficient reasons set forth in the report of Colonel Smythe, the British Government determined not to take possession of Fiji. Active Mr. Pritchard, however, before this determination was made known to him, hnd procured a formal provisional cession of tin; Islands from some Chiefs, and also an enactment giving to himself" fi 11. •' unreserved, entire, ami supreme autho- " ritv and power to govern Fiji according "to the broad and plain principles of "justice and morality, and to make what " laws he pleases;" he had also publicly invited immigration to the Islands; for all of which " unauthorised action" Mr. Consul Pritchard received a severe snubbing from his official superiors. The fate of Fiji now hangs in the balance; a French Protectorate or Commander Boutwell's "remedy" are the alternatives for the Tui Viti and his Chiefs. England's faith in her mission of saving and elevating aboriginal races has been shaken by the result of her experience in New Zealand.