A.—4c.

Lord Granville then proceeds to combat in every particular Prince Bismarck's allegation that England had shown a jealousy of Germany's colonial aspirations, and a desire to stifle her various colonial enterprises. In conclusion, he says :" I have only now to observe upon the remark which has been attributed to me, to the effect that the attitude of Germany on the colonial question made it difficult for me to be conciliatory on other points. I have never used any threat to obstruct the colonial policy of Germany, or conveyed anything more than the mere fact that the recent attitude of Germany as to Egypt had for the moment changed from the friendly one previously maintained towards this country. All my declarations, in public and private, as well as those of Mr. Gladstone, and many of my colleagues, have been most favourable to German colonization. I authorize your Excellency to leave a copy of this despatch with Prince Bismarck." This practically concludes the correspondence on the general question. But throughout the Blue Book there recurs at intervals a special correspondence on the subject of Samoa and Tonga, which has a peculiar interest and importance in view of the recent treaty concluded between Germany and Samoa. In consequence of a movement, both in Samoa and New Zealand, in favour of the annexation of Samoa by Great Britain, the German Government obtained from the British Government on the 4th of last December an assurance that the independence of Samoa and Tonga would be respected, provided that "reciprocal assurances " were obtained from the German Government. This assurance is repeated later on, and it appears that the German Government satisfied Lord Granville that they had no intention to interfere with the independence of the two islands. The repeated petitions of the King and chiefs of Samoa for annexation to Great Britain were disregarded. But on 6th January last Lord Derby received a telegram from the Governor of New Zealand informing him that two German vessels had arrived at Samoa, and the officers had forced the King to sign a treaty giving the whole authority of the Government to the German representative. On the 16th of the present month Lord Granville wrote as follows to Count Miinster: " If, M. l'Ambassadeur, this agreement had been confined to the establishment of a Court, and of the procedure to be observed in civil and criminal cases, and the punishment of offences in which German subjects are concerned, for which alone Article VII. of the German Treaty in 1879 provides, its provisions would not, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, have been open to criticism, but the creation of a State Council, the appointment of a German officer of the Samoan Government, and the enrolment of a German police to protect the plantations of German subjects, appear to place Her Majesty's subjects at a disadvantage, and will prevent the Samoan Government from acting independently in matters which affect the whole community. The arrangement seems, in fact, to give to Germany alone much of the influence with which, in 1880, it was proposed to invest an Executive Council, to be composed of one English, one German, and one United States member. To this arrangement Her Majesty's Government declined to accede, on the ground that it involved too great an interference with the Government of the island to allow of its being assumed by the representatives of Great Britain, Germany, and the United States conjointly The feeling in Samoa in favour of English annexation appears to be spontaneous and genuine, and there seems no more reason to suppose that it has been instigated by Englishmen than that it has been intensified by the recent action of the German representatives. I have so recently informed your Government of the conditions upon which Her Majesty's Government were prepared to respect the independence of both Samoa and Tonga that I need hardly repeat my assurances on this subject. I beg, however, to take this opportunity of expressing the gratification with which I had learnt from Her Majesty's Ambassador at Berlin, and from your Excellency, that your Government had promptly repudiated the action of their Consul at Apia in hoisting the German flag over some land there. It is unavoidable that in places far distant from Europe the action not only of British and German individuals, but even of official servants of each State, may be such as, unchecked, might lead to unnecessary complications. Immediate inquiry and consequent action on the part of the respective Governments, such as the German Government have now adopted, and which Her Majesty's Government are ready to adopt on all similar occasions, are the best antidotes against this risk.'' In consequence of German action the following letter was addressed by the King of Samoa to the Emperor of Germany : " Mulinu, 29th December, 1884. Your Majesty,—l am writing to your Majesty to make known my distress on account of difficulties which are being caused to me and my Government by gentlemen of your Government who are resident in Samoa. I humble myself and beg and entreat your Majesty to listen to my complaint. The first thing concerning which I wish to make known my complaint to your Majesty is this : The agreement made on the 10th November between the Government of Germany and the Government of Samoa. The means by which that agreement was procured were unjust, for we did not want it and we were not permitted to deliberate and consider well concerning it. I wrote to the German Consul to give me a copy of that agreement in order that we might understand clearly the words in the agreement. But he was unwilling to give me a copy of that agreement in order that we might understand clearly the words in the agreement. But he did not reply, as he was unwilling to give me and my Government a copy unless we should first accept it, after which he would deliver up a copy to me and my Government. But the reason for my accepting it and for writing our names, Malietoa and Tupua, was on account of our fear through our being continually threatened. I make known this to your Majesty in order that our withdrawal from the agreement may be known on account of its containing many impracticable clauses. Therefore I beseech your Majesty not to assent to that agreement. There is another matter concerning which I complain to your Majesty. It is in reference to difficulties which are being caused at the present time by a subject of your Government, M. "Weber. He is continually endeavouring to produce divisions which will bring about wars and quarrels in Samoa. I have many accounts of his acts which he is doing at the present time in order to cause difficulties in Samoa. He is scheming with certain Samoan chiefs, and keeps giving them money in order that they may obey his will and bring insurrections against my Government,

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