The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1884. MALTESE ACQUISITIONS!

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 47, 23 January 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1884. MALTESE ACQUISITIONS!

Another new phase of the immigration movement in this Colony has lately been introduced by no less a personage than “ Count Bologna Strickland” —a “nobleman” of some importance, according to the exalted views of a few of the official toadies of this part of Her Britannic Majesty’s dominions. It would appear that the great Bolleston—who may be credited with possessing a certain form of “ aristocratic” proclivities—had the assurance, some time since, to “ consent” to the introduction into this Colony of a certain number of Maltese, for the ostensible purpose of forming a special settlement for the cultivation of olives, oranges, &c,; and now—when the great “ Count” condescends to make his appearance in these islands—the talented and courteous New Zealand Minister—flattered, no doubt, by the attentions paid him by a real live " nobleman”—is taking the special-settlement question into his grave and wise consideration. The Hon. Mr. Bolleston is, unquestionably, a very important individual—in his own particular sphere,—he shines with great lustre when there is nothing to counteract his official brilliancy ; but he has yet to learn that his *' official utterances” will not exactly be accepted as gospel by those intelligent politicians who really take an interest—apart from the attractions of office — in the future prosperity of this Colony. What reason the “ Count” can assign for imagining that the people of this Colony would feel flattered by the immigration here of a horde of Maltese laborers we fail to see, and it strikes us forcibly that the noble Strickland must either deem the settlers iu New Zealand a very easy-going lot, or possessed of most peculiar taste. Probably, the noble “ Count” considers the Colonists under an obligation to him for his condescension in visiting these islands, and has a far higher opinion of his refined, veracious, and honest countrymen than is entertained of them by Britishers who have had the honor of being brought into close contact with the Maltese laborer. If, as it is stated, there are gentlemen in England who are so interested in those unsophisticated islanders as to be willing to advance the necessary funds for the settlement of Maltese in this Colony, the British spirit of fair-play would not permit our fellow-colonists to raise obstacles to the “acquisitions” taking up land here ; but every right-thinking New Zealander will, we should think, decidedly object to any special settlement being set apart, at the expense of the people of this country, for the favored foreigners under “Count Strickland’s” patronage — even at the risk of offending so great and exalted a personage as the Hon. Mr. Bolleston. We should think that quite enough money has been expended already in settling people in this Colony, and that, if it be deemed

necessary to form a special settlement for any particularly beneficial object, there are thousands of poor but welldeserving Britishers who would make quite as good, if not better, colonists than the refined Maltese laborers “ Count ” Strickland seeks to honor New Zealanders with the presence of, —that there is no necessity for making this colony an asylum for the elite of the Mediterranean. “ Count” Strickland should take hie following to a country—America, for instance—where a very large extent of land could be procured at a low figure, and where he might reign supreme as Lord or King of a nation of his own creation ; therefore, we can find no excuse—unless the blandishments or toadying manner of hie “ hon.” friend has a magical effect — for the Maltese “ Count” honoring this Colony with his solicitations for the benefit of countrymen he must feel proud of. But, surely the Government of this Colony will uot seriously entertain the begging application of a “ Count,” no matter how much weight the Hon. Mr. Bolleston may attach, iu his peculiar kind of generosity, to the request so graciously made by his Maltese friend. We cannot imagine that the representatives of the people of this Colony would tamely submit to have public funds manipulated for the benefit of any “ Count’s” proteges, and, therefore, rest content that the Maltese settlement question will not bear such fruit as the acute, generous, polite Bolleston would seek to produce from the discussion of it; while we may safely look forward to the present occupants of the Ministerial benches being soon placed where they will have no power to entertain such a Maltese application as the one lately made by “ Count” Strickland, the Maltese patriot I