THE PACIFIC ISLANDS SLAVE TRADE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 44, 25 November 1871, Page 3

THE PACIFIC ISLANDS SLAVE TRADE.

[From the Sydney Mobbing- Hebald, October 18.] We are now seldom so fortunate as to take up a Queensland paper without finding some recital of outrages committed upon the unoffending islanders of the South Seas. These are but the fruits of the piece of legislation we were upbraided for denouncing. So soon as the Polynesian Labour Act was published, we described the sort of trade that would inevitably spring up under it, and maintained our views, even though they were at variance with those of a high legal authority in this colony, who pronounced the Queensland Act to be a very satisfactory evidence of a desire on the part of the sister colony to put down the abuses connected with

the importation of islanders. All that was then forseen has unhappily come to pass, and although the Queensland Government itself found it necessary to amend the first act by the second, which placed the trade under greater restrictions, a number of seahawlcs had been attracted to the trade, which promised a large share of profit with few risks to the unscrupulous, and care loth to give it up. If there was no demand in Queensland for colored labor, there was in the Fijis; and should the cargo have been got together in a manner more than ordinarily questionable, the latter islands always afforded the trader an opportunity to secure a good reward for his enterprise. There was nothing whatever in the terms of the agreement between the Queensland Government and the skipper to whom a license was given to trade in this dark ware, or as it was termed “ to recruit,” which could prevent him from dividing his business into two kinds, in the event of its being absolutely necessary for him to exhibit a formally-executed agreement with every islander delivered under the order as the Polynesian Immigration Inspector to the Queensland applicant. To get such shiploads as would be satisfactory to an Inspector, it was necessary for him to visit those islands where missionaries resided, or the chiefs were sufficiently intelligent to witness to a document — this being required under the Act. But lie would be well aware that natives from these islands would only be got with much trouble, and at greater cost than those from uncivilised islands; that is to say, they would want greater inducements, owing to their greater knowledge of the labor market, and would be inclined to drive harder bargains for their temporary loss of liberty. This would be the humane and gentlemanly side of the skipper’s business, in the conduct of which little or no profit would accrue to him. In the prosecution of his mission, which would he represented as one of civilisation, he might possibly appear in the Quaker’s broad brim, and the clerical white tie, and would doubtless succeed in leaving a delightful impression of his goodness of heart. The part might be a little difficult to him, but still he could play it; and under the gratification of witnessing so unusual a sight the critics would not be very severe. Behind this would be the rough and ready business —the true slaving and kidnapping aspect of the trade. For one profitless shipload of natives to Queensland three or four profitable runnings would be made between the Fijis and the New Hebrides, and in an indirect manner the Queensland Government would be made to stand godfather to the whole. For this part of his work, we find the Captain appropriately attired. He pockets his license, and cuts out canoes, and steals men with revolver and cutlass in hand. This is not the mode in which the people of Queensland desire the trade to be carried on, we are aware ; we only point to it as the effect of the piece of legislation to which exception was taken, and which though now amended, continues to exert an influence for evil.