MR STOUT ON THE PACIFIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1998, 23 May 1885, Page 2

MR STOUT ON THE PACIFIC.

The following is an extract from a letter which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald I :—Taking all the Pacific Islands together—and we know no reason why they should not be taken, together—wo find that the trade of New South Wales last year was £929,066, while that of New Zealand was only £191,169. It must be.acknowled therefore, that if, as, Mr Stout seems to contend, the • balance : of influence, is to go with the balance of trade, New South Wales is entitled to an Zealand in the settlement of tne Pacific Islands quesoi).,' Moreover, jf' )xe consent'tq narrow tljat question down to the paltry Jjinitfi 'fejj %' wquld assign to it—namely, the 4wpo»al pf Tqnga and Samoa, still the statistics show that •New South Wales is in a stronger position than New Zealand. If, then, as Mr Stout contends, each colony ought to be allowed to annex any island with which it happens to have a'larger trade than any other colonies, Tonga and Samoa would fall, not to New Zealand,' but to New 'Vyajei B«t New South Wales has not the' smallest desjcq' to annex these or any otKer islands, \qr £q; interfere in any way with the existing international.arrangements in the Pacific. It is New Zealand,.and New Zealand alone, which has assumed "an 'isolated attitude" in that direction. Yet, simply because the Government of New South'; Wales refused to get into a state .of panic' on a mere rumor that Somoa was to be Slanged for Gorman ]Bfew. Guinea--"' a rumor- which; proved to be totally,' unfounded, MtStouLcharges this colony withingratitud'e, disloyalty, and selfisli exclusiveness; .towards, AiistMasia in general, and New' Zealand in particular:' . Could anything more absurdly wrong-: headMßeim!agii[ed?lny6n6notabsolutelj!'j blinded by prejudice, who has watched I

the course pursued by New South Wales from the beginning, in relation to the Pacific Islands question, and the federa- - tion and annexation question, must ; surely be able to dißcern thecal, 'nature of our policy, It is this J Mtw South ■.-' Wales, so far ,from isolating lraelf as an individual colonyin these matters, has steadfastly adhered to the determination,, to proceed in all things' as an integral portion of the British Empire. With that view it has uniformly abstained from any action which might;.embarrass the Empire in its dealing.. with foreign Powers,;,.and, further, has, to join with or'encourage aiyomer colony or colonies, in any movemeiitiwhich had a tendenoy to convert loyal, pbraftfoiid,: f valuable dependencies into troublesome and:;, discontented,.,femiindependent States, is precisely where the shoe pinches in New Zealand./ Some of the Ministers in that interesting and promising colony cherish, heaven ~ knows what dreams of political ambitionand territorial aggrandisement, and they are furious with New South Wales because their craze has ,met with no countenance from this quarter.