The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1872

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 910, 6 January 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1872

The establishment of a constitutional form of government in Fiji does not appear to have resulted in any diminution of the " labour" traffic, as those who do not care to call it by its proper name choose to term it. If we read rightly a notice in the " Gazette" of November 25, it is to be inferred that the slave trade is receiving the sanction of King Thakombau's Government. Fiji, it appears, possesses a population of mountaineers, hardy and warlike, who will own no allegiance either to Thakombau or the white man. They make periodical excursions for plunder into the more fertile plains, and retreat to their mountain homes with cattle, implements, and any valuables easily removed ; at the same time successfully defying all attempts at subjugation. Both the white man and native subjects of King Thakombau have alike suffered from these modern freebooters, and have decided that the mountaineers shall be exterminated. Large grants of land are to be offered as a reward to all the out-scouriugs of Australia in return for the services to be performed in this war of extermination ; and any of the outlawed natives whom their clemency may spare are to be distributed in small lots among the various plantations of the neighbouring islands. Quoting from the " Gazette" we are told that the land now owned by this turbulent race is a " mighty country, consisting of hundreds of thousands of acres of well-watered and fertile soil, highly calculated for the settlement of an extensive, intelligent, and progressive population." After learning this we are partly prepared for the following information, which is also supplied by a " Gazette ": "We have already," says that authority, " a number of idlers who would gladly volunteer to become members of the army of occupation, and who are quite ready to shoulder the rifle and undertake the invasion of a country peopled by bloodthirsty savages, living in a state of heathenism horrible to contemplate." It will bo thus seen what is the character of the project contemplated. The subjugated natives are to be brought within christianising influences by forcible deportation as slaves to the numerous planters who are greatly in want of labour, while their lands are to form the temptation which is to induce the numerous adventurers for whom no employment can be found by the Government to take part in this war of extermination.

It is not an easy matter for those far removed from the scene of operations to form an absolutely correct opinion of the true features of the proposal, but on the face it appears to be alike foolish and criminal. A war of extermination cannot be undertaken without involving the present settlements in the greatest danger. Outrages such as are certain to be committed by an ill-organised gang such as will compose the army of iuvasion, cannot but result in reprisals by the injured natives ; and the victims of the latter are certain to be those who, innocent of the enormities committed, and heedless of danger, will have failed to prepare themselves against the retaliations by justly enraged natives. The ire against them will be all the greater from the invasion being regarded as a mere device of the planters to procure labour, careless of what outrages are committed in securing the supply. The Polynesian labour traffic is happily now engaging very serious attention by the Imperial authorities, who it is to be hoped will take such speedy and effective measures as will secure safety to the settlers and justice to the native population. But, notwithstanding the native difficulty, Fiji as a field for settlement is attracting large numbers from the Australian colonies and New Zealand, and there can be no doubt that the development of its resources and its colonisation are progressing very rapidly. The Legislature established by King Thakombau consists of a Legislative Assembly, the members of which were elected in the ordinary way. There are some half dozen Cabinet Ministers who are well salaried, and who conduct the public

business apparently with as much intelligence as would justify a longer experience with the duties of their respective offices. The following particulars of the revenue for the year 1871-72 are furnished by the " Lyttelton Times " : The estimated revenue of Thakom- ' nu's dominions for the year ending June 30, 1872, is about £23,593, and the estimated expenditure £20,231 which gives the Treasurer a surplus of. say £3OOO. By far the larger portion of the revenue is styled territorial, and in the absence of exact information we are not in a position to say what the phrase implies. It may mean rents paid by Bettlers and Natives to the King, or it may mean the sum derived from the sale of land to the former. At all events, the Treasurer expects to get over £IB,OOO from this source, while the excise duties are estimated at the small sum of £637. This would seem to imply that the Fiji Government goes in for free trade pure and simple, and we believe such is the case. By-and-by, perhaps, when there are more demands upon the Treasury, it will be found necessary to impose duties, or, if free trade is to be the cardinal principle of Fiji rulers, we may hear that they have a opted direct taxation. The various i urns of estimated expenditure indicate liberal provision in the way of salaries ; in fact, nearly the whole of the revenue is allotted for what we should call non-reproductive purposes. The King is allowed a privy purse of £ISOO a year, and his Secretary gets £2OO. The Speaker is credited, with £SOO, and Ministers are put down at £2500. Again, we have the Civil List salaries, £3150 ; the salaries of the Legislative Assembly, £787; the salaries of the Lands aud works department, £733 ; che salaries of the Chief Secretary's department, £3420 ; of the Treasurer's department, £581; of the Trade and Customs department, £781; and of i\\e Native department, £5990: The highly civilised and very constitutional item called " contingencies " occurs pretty frequently in the estimates, and swallows up about a fourth part of the whole revenue. The administration of justice is estimated to cost £3430, and the police, £2232.