Debate in the House of Representatives Wellington, June 22.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 158, 26 June 1886, Page 2

Debate in the House of Representatives Wellington, June 22.

In the Hoi.se yesterday afternoon, the Pieurior lxad a cablegram from the AgentGoneial on tho 2v' Q ,w Hebrides annexation to tho following eff-jct : -- "The French landing and hoisting their flag created a E"tron^r sensation coming so soon after M. de Fieyri net's* assurances. Articles con-, demning tho action uppoarpd in to-day's piper. Will telegraph again soon." The Premier put it to the Houne whether it would not bo wi=e under the ciicumstanuts to wait before discussing the ques (ion till they had received fmther mforma tion from the Agent General. The Agent(General h.id been instructed to protest ngaint-c what Fianco was apparently doing, an.] the Premier was of opinion" that "if France had done what ehe was reported to have dono rbey should make a veiy strong protest acraiupt it. Sir George Grey, however^objvcled to any farther delay, and the debate consequently came on at the evening sitting. The debate was resumed by Mr Montgomery, who moved the following fmcher amendment-, " That thi-< House is of opinion tha: Great LJritain should strenuously ob j'^cbto France occupying or annexing the jN T ew Htb:iae»" That was clearly a t^jv-kii.icioa of opinion on theij part oi the Hon-e, and it might be followed up by a fm-thdr resolution if thought dej'irab:c. Whatever the Hi»u c c deteuniued to do ii dnuM ba done decidedly and promprU. iMrO.-mond movd :— "That this House do>iiG.> to convey to the Home Government it. opinion that in effect ing a -c*L"ieuient of the question at issue berwpfut iJieit Britain ai:d France, iv I euii'.eoiion with tho Pacific island;?, the cine; [,ov>i of nitore->L to this* colony, which if bc'n,ve>t to'be shared by all Australasian c.ilo i>e j . i- that the deportation of convic's l\ Fiasco to .i»iy of her pi^&e&sions in the U". -vtetn I','^jii,: should oeasa, and failing *7>t,it B. Uiin being willing to extend her pioir fioi..LO to those lf-lard», the rights xiii mop.--' - c* Her Majy^fy's saibjsc'fe in-iho-o old'jfis phnulii bo secured to them, «nd iha~ tii't v. ill be attained by t^oh ay .iPtrjf'jnont uitii o^her Poveirt as wili i*e-coj.>ii-u tho iiidep<->ndt>nee of tha Government- of iho different t>*roupi of island;?, subject to tret do m ot trucie and commerce, mid security ot c'vil and religious li'necty to all n tttons Be said he had. been induced tak'j thi«i action for the reason that the other pi opo&al:- before the Hou&e made theqiiestioii of the occupition of the New Hebrides of poi mauent importance. To his mind a, larger question was the one of stopping the deportation of French convicts to these shoies. Thi^ was a standing menaco to all tho colonios. Although a Presbyterian himself he failed to sco why Bpscial consideration 0 shou'd ba claimed for the Pics byterian Church in the New Hebrides. It would be better to leave the door open that all religious and civilising influences might go there. Large questions of this kiid should not be dealt with by resolutions of privato members, and he regretted that the Government had not seen lit to lead the House in this matter. Mr D nvnie Stewart followed, and blamed the Government tor not giving way to the view? of the m ijorify of the Pacific (elands SeiecG Committee, instead of attempting to bartsr away the independence of the^e islands and ruaky terms with France which were impn.ctic ible. Air Wakefield made a capital speech, showing intimate knowledge with the ques tion under discussion. There was no strong fc-eling on the question, as some hon. members nad a.-serted. There was not a homogeneous population on the Islands,and Mr Wallace, one of the most modern writtrs, asserted that only one of the islands had been Chu-»tiani?ed, and that since Christianity had been introduced the population had decreased from thirteen thousand to two thousand. It was better to have free colonies neur us than convict settlements, and thoroforo he supported tho resolution moved by the bon. member, for Mount Ida, Were we going to figh'j France aa Victoria had already threatened ? Kapa was of infinitely more value tous than the Newjrlobridos. Were they to adopt resolutions proposed in that House by the member for Mount, Ida, and in the Lot>i-Jative Council by Sir F. Whilaker, they would be committing no act of dishonour. ( Tie did not think they wete doing the great French nation juslico in giving expiesdon to old prejudices. The Colonial Treasurer rather unexpectedly brought the dpbate to a close. Ho said this was a most inconvenient time for the discussion of the question- ( In the House of Coipnions that night, probably a question might be asked on the subject, but there would csrfcainly bo no discussion to embarrass the Government ; and Parlia-

ment ought, for the same obvious reasons'* to follow the English practice on such occasions. It was impossible, as Mr Wakefield had stated, for them to arrive at any definite resolution which would not only express the sense of the House, but would bo proper to the occasion. There might be a question of war involved between, two great nations,, and it behoved them, in such a complicated question, to keep silence. He concluded Tby moving the adjournment of the debate till next sitting, and would recommend them to agree to adjournment- from day to day, until something definite was known. In seconding the adjournment, Major Atkinson said that had such an explanation been offered at an earlier stage of the proceedings his Bide of the house would have readily consented to the proposal. The debate was adjourned accordingly I

, t London, June 16. M. de Freyoinet states that the troops despatched to the New Hebrides will remain " there until the French settlers are safe,and tranquillity is restored. The "Globe " considers the action of the) French Government in the matter a flagrant breach of faith, which amounts to virtual annexation. An interview took place to-day between Mr Graham Berry (Agent-General for Victoria) and Mr Osborne Morgan (Under Secretary of State for the Colonies), afe which the latter stated, in view of the assurances recently given by the French Government, there was no cauee for alarm at the hoisting of the French flag in the New Hebrides. Mr Graham Berry is preparing a despatch to the Colonial Office on the subject., pointing to the absence of any recent outrages in the New Hebrides which might justify the action of the French Government, and urging that the Imperial Government should m/ake an inquiry as to the neceeeity for the recent action of France Mr Graham Berry further states that in the opinion of the Victorian Government the ~ British flag should in the meantime also be hoisted at the New Hebrides. Mr Berry's despatch, will be forwarded to-morrow. It suggests a joint occupation of the islands as a precautionary measure, but the English Government disapprove of such a proposal. Melbourne, June 17. The Premier (Mr Gilliee) has telegraphed to tue Agent-General in London, requesting him to inquire into the meaning of the recent proceedings of the French warship Divas, in tho New Hebrides in fane of the assurances given by the French Government in regard to the neutrality of those islands. Sydney, June 17. In the Legislative Assembly to-day, the. Premier (Su: Patrick Jenning?) made an announcement respecting the reported French occupation of the New Hebrides. He stated that the Government ot New South Wale 3 had for.yarded, through the Agent-General for the colony, a protest against any iibioßat'on of the treaty between hn^laud ard France in reference to tho New Hebrides. London, June 18. The Hon. J. Bryce, Under-Secretary of Fo-eign Aflans, etatec-that M. de Freycinet, the French Pieinier, has promised to supply the English Government with the details of the muider of French subjects in the New Hetnidus, and aL-,o with details lespectingj^ the visit of thu warship Dive 1 * to the Is'ands. The pk'doc <r"ven by M. de Freycinet are oi a reHS&iuhig nature. Paris, June 19. M. do Freycinet, Premier, in his interview with Lord Lyons on Thursday latt, promised the BiiushAmbassadorthat he should bo supplied with details of the outrages which had been committed en Jfrench subjects in the New Hebrides. Tho newspaper " Le T^mps," in a leading ai tide to-day, urges than n fresh arrangement be come to between England and France regarding the New Hebrides.