That Advocate General. He then asked what | agree that it was their duty to be preposition the office stood in at present; sent "from early morn to dewy eve and his right hon. Friend the Secretary in case they might be wanted. of State for War stated that though they would make the position of Law Officers had asked for £2,000, the expense of the one which no gentleman would accept. office was only £500. He wished to ask The explanation he had to give as to the right hon. Gentleman whether, be- the form of the Vote was this-There fore any final decision was come to with had been disputes between former Goreference to any alteration in the office, vernments and Mr. Churchward, and a an opportunity would be given to the suit was now pending in which Mr. House to express an opinion on the proChurchward was the appellant. That posed change? He himself entertained suit was hung up in the Court of Exa strong opinion that the office of Judge chequer Chamber; Mr. Churchward had Advocate General should not be abo- the conduct of it, and could at any lished. moment withdraw his appeal and so MR. CARDWELL said, he thought put an end to the suit. As he did not he ought not to be called on to enter choose to do so, it was necessary from into any engagement. What he meant time to time to insert this notice, in acyesterday, and what he would repeat cordance with a solemn Resolution come now, was this-that the whole question to by the House of Commons. He felt of the duties and responsibilities of the that this notice, so appearing in the Votes office was to be considered by the Go-year after year, had a disagreeable and vernment in connection with the altera- an awkward look. Sir Robert Collier tion and consolidation of the Military Law recommended by the Royal Commission of which his right hon. Friend (Colonel Wilson-Patten) was the ChairIn order to take the whole question into consideration, no permanent arrangement with regard to the office had been made; and in the meantime the office was temporarily held by the Judge of the Admiralty Court. man. MR. KINNAIRD was very glad his right hon. Friend did not accede to the suggestion of the right hon. and learned Gentleman. It would be a bad thing for economy if, when a plan for the amalgamation of offices was proposed and an hon. Gentleman from Ireland objected, the Government were to give way. Resolution agreed to. Resolution 7 (£1,134,632, Post Office Packet Service). THE ATTORNEY GENERAL said, he understood that last night the Postmaster General gave a pledge that some explanation should be given by one of the Law Officers on this matter. As far as he was concerned, he was not in the least aware that any question would be raised on the Vote, or he would have been in his place. He admitted that it was the duty of the Law Officers of the Crown to be in the House when they knew or were informed of any matter coming on about which their advice might be required; but he could not Sir Colman O' Loghlen and he had been asked whether it could not be dropped. So had the Solicitor General and he; and in both cases they had advised the Government that it could not be dropped with safety, but that, in fulfilment of the pledge given to the House of Commons, it must appear in some shape or other, either in the Votes or-which would, perhaps, be better-in the Appropriation Bill. Resolution agreed to. Remaining Resolutions agreed to. And it being now twenty minutes to Seven of the clock, the House suspended its Sitting. House resumed its Sitting at Nine of the clock. THE FIJI ISLANDS. MOTION FOR AN ADDRESS. MR. M'ARTHUR, in rising to move"That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that She will be graciously pleased to establish a British Protectorate at Fiji," said, he was aware that a subject of this kind had not much interest in that House, but it was regarded as of great importance in Australia; it materially affected British interests in the Pacific; it involved the protection of a large portion of Her Majesty's subjects; and it had now assumed such magnitude that the Government must deal with it in Islands. some form or other. The Islands num- | from Vancouver's Island and British bered 200 or 210, the natives were superior in strength and intelligence to any other of the races of the Pacific; but some years back cannibalism and human sacrifices prevailed amongst them to an enormous extent, and they were amongst the most ferocious and degraded of the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. In 1834 a few Wesleyan missionaries, with true apostolic zeal, went forth, taking their lives in their hands, to reclaim these degraded savages, and few greater triumphs had been achieved in the history of the Christian Church than in these Islands during the last 37 years. The greater part of the Fijians had embraced Christianity, cannibalism had been abolished, schools had been established, and churches built, and the King and a large number of his Chiefs had embraced Christianity; and not only so, but the Scriptures had been translated, and were now in the hands of 100,000 natives. The Fiji Islands occupied one of the most important stations in the Pacific, forming the key of Polynesia. They were upon the direct track to San Francisco and British Columbia, and in the hands of a foreign Power would do us serious mischief. In 1859 the Sovereignty of the Islands, with 200,000 acres of land, had been offered to Great Britain. Colonel Smyth had been sent out to report on the propriety of accepting the cession. That officer had either been unfit for his task, or went there with a prejudice against the proposal, for his replies to the three leading questions put to him by the Government were, that the Islands did not lie in the path of any great commercial route; that the navigation was dangerous; and that they did not as a station afford us any security in the Pacific, while the prospective supply of cotton could never be otherwise than insignificant. Captain Washington, hydrographer, on the other hand, gave the very contrary replies to these queries; and had since been corroborated by the hon. and gallant Member for Stirlingshire (Admiral Erskine) in the account he had published some years ago of his cruise in the Pacific Ocean. With regard to the first point, a new line of steamers was projected from Sydney to San Francisco, and the Fiji Islands lay in their direct track on the great circle, and would also be a convenient station for the line plying VOL. CCXII. [THIRD SERIES.] Columbia to Australia and New Zealand. As to the supply of cotton, an eminent botanist, Dr. Berthold Seeman, had borne his testimony that the Fiji Islands had seemed specially made for the growth of that plant, which could be cultivated on almost every rood of the land; and whilst in 1865 the exports in value amounted to £9,000, in 1871 they had increased to £88,920, and the increase in tonnage between Fiji and Sydney was not less than 100 per cent. Not only that, but while the price of ordinary cotton in Manchester was 10d. or 18. per lb., that from Fiji realized 3s. and 38. 2d. It could not be expected that a country possessing so many advantages would remain long without attracting the attention of colonists, and there were now upwards of 2,000 persons, all British subjects, who naturally looked to Great Britain for protection. The subject was taken up at an Intercolonial Conference held at Melbourne in 1870, and the unanimous opinion expressed in a resolution was, that it was of the utmost importance to British interests that these Islands should not form part of or be under the guardianship of any other country than Great Britain. At a public meeting held at Sydney also, it was agreed that a Petition should be presented to the Legislative Council, stating that the Fiji Islands had, within the last few years, become peculiarly interesting, affording great facilities for commercial enterprize and the extension of agricultural operations that the condition and prospects of the Islands were exceedingly unsatisfactory, and the source of much anxiety to the well-wishers and promoters of Christian civilization in the Pacific Ocean that Her Majesty's Government having declined to proclaim the Fiji Islands a British colony, notwithstanding the desire of the inhabitants, they were liable to be annexed by any maritime Power other than Great Britain. A memorial embodying these views was sent to the Home Government; but the application made was declined, Lord Kimberley stating that Her Majesty's Government could not depart from their original intention not to extend British Sovereignty to these Islands; but his Lordship added that the Government were prepared to give any aid in their power, by means of the Consul, for the maintenance of order until the Euro H pean community could establish a regular | to its conduct towards the natives, it was Government. A copy of this despatch of the most arbitrary character, and it was forwarded to the Earl of Belmore, Governor of New South Wales, with an intimation that if that colony wished to annex Fiji, the necessary powers would be conferred upon it for the purpose. The colony of New South Wales very properly declined to take such a step, regarding the question as an Imperial one. Sir James Martin, on behalf of himself and his colleagues, expressed great regret at the course taken by the Earl of Kimberley and the British Government, who were willing to recognize any regular Government which the European community might establish in Fiji, but were not prepared, as British Ministers to undertake the responsibility and incur the expense of converting Fiji into a British colony; and they added that they were not aware of any precedent for such an invitation to a few Europeans to establish a separate nationality for themselves, and that the question was an Imperial one, and ought to be taken up by the Imperial Government, which had naval force enough to protect any Government which might be created under Imperial auspices. These were the words of statesmen, in which he fully concurred; and he trusted the British Government would ultimately yield to the unanimous wish of its Australian subjects on the question. The Victoria correspondent of The Times, writing in July last, said that great satisfaction was felt with the manner in which the Premier deprecated the project to annex Fiji to New South Wales, because such annexation, to be of any benefit to either party, must be the work of the Imperial Government; the acquisition of what must one day be one of the great depôts of the Pacific was a consideration of importance to Great Britain; the English Government advanced no reason against it but the expense, and to acquire the Islands at the expense of a few thousands would be a stroke of good policy. In fact, the policy of the Government was penny wise and pound foolish. Acting on the suggestion of the Earl of Kimberley, a Government had been formed, which commanded neither respect nor confidence; an association had been formed to resist the payment of taxes; and that Government was now drilling a force of natives to maintain its authority. With regard Mr. M'Arthur appeared from The Fiji Gazette that it was the intention of the Government at an early day to institute measures for the inauguration of a military force to bring under subjection the mountaineers, and to occupy their land. If the Fiji Islands were under a British protectorate nothing of that kind would, in all probability, occur, nor would such outrages as those committed upon the British Consul, and which were detailed in The Daily News of the 10th of April last, happen. Her Majesty's Government, after trying to shift all responsibility on to the shoulders of the colony of New South Wales, thereby showing that it was not at all a matter of principle, now declined to recognize the unanimous voice and feelings of our friends in Australia. In the interest of Christianity, commerce, and liberty, he regretted that the money question, which, after all, was but a very small one, should stand in the way of putting down the slave trade, for they might depend upon it, that however much money they might spend in endeavouring to attain that object, they would never succeed until they assumed the protectorate over these Islands. Such a consideration as that did not stand in the way of former Governments when the suppression of the African Slave Trade was aimed at. Again, it should be remembered that Fiji offered many advantages for the establishment of a naval station in the Pacific, and that would be a very important matter if we intended to maintain our naval supremacy. They would not have to make conquests for a naval station there; but having made them, he thought it was a matter well worthy the consideration of the Government. Was it not possible, he asked, to have such a British protectorate in Fiji as existed on the Gold Coast of Africa, and which, it should be borne in mind, had conferred such blessings on the natives of that Coast for the last 40 years? Moreover, such protectorate need not assume an extensive form, and the cost, as estimated, would not exceed £7,000 a-year. France and America had places in the Pacific under their protection, and he could not perceive any reason why this country should not extend its protectorate to Fiji. The course we had pursued of late years of refusing to extend our Colonial Empire {JUNE 25, 1872} had led us into many unfortunate wars, | inhabitants of those Islands in civiliand had, in most instances, to be aban-zation, the time had arrived when we doned. He trusted that policy would had a right to demand that the comWith regard to what it was the duty of England to do in that matter, if his advice was of any value, he should be inclined to recommend a protectorate over these Islands, although he knew that was a rather vague term. To the authority of the Earl of Kimberley against such a proposal he would oppose the equally great authority of Earl Grey. The hon. and gallant Admiral then quoted passages from Earl Grey's work on Colonial Policy, describing in 1853 the nature of British authority as exercised on the West Coast of Africa, where justice was administered by British magistrates, the Governor having at his disposal only two or three companies of a West India regiment. Earl Grey also showed the immense advantage resulting from the existence of British influence on the West Coast of Africa, and from our authorities there having a very small number of troops to enforce their decrees; and he concluded by pointing out that the consequence had been the establishment of a local Government which taxed itself to the amount of £40,000 a-year. He thought that putting small ships in the place of West India regiments, in the case of Africa, we might maintain a Government in Fiji and the other Islands with equally satisfactory results. At all events, it was necessary that something should be done, if only as a preparation for the future; and it was our duty, as paramount in these seas, to take upon ourselves the work of establishing something like a Government amongst the islands. In conclusion, he begged leave to second the Motion. not be pursued in the present instance, and that the fine opportunity we now possessed of acquiring these Islands would not be thrown away. On economical grounds alone it would be advisable that we should take these Islands under our protection, as otherwise we should be put to a large expense in endeavouring to put down the practice of kidnapping, to which reference had been made in "another place" last night; whereas, if Fiji had a protectorate, two gunboats would be sufficient not only to prevent kidnapping, but also to enforce our authority there. Then, again, the King wished to be under British protection; the people wished it; the missionaries desired it; so did the manufacturers and also the colonists; while civil government was urgently required to complete the blessings we had conferred upon it. Therefore, he thought it was only reasonable that the Government should accede to their united wishes. In conclusion, he must say that it was not often that he entirely concurred in the views expressed by the right hon. Member for Buckinghamshire (Mr. Disraeli); but he most cordially agreed in that part of his speech last night, at the Crystal Palace, in which he said "In my opinion no Minister in this country will do his duty who neglects any opportunity of reconstructing as much as possible our Colonial Empire, and of responding to those distant sympathies which may become the source of incalculable strength and happiness to this land." The hon. Member concluded by moving the Resolution of which he had given Notice. ADMIRAL ERSKINE, in seconding the Motion, said that his hon. Friend (Mr. M'Arthur) had appealed to him to give the House his personal experience of the goodness of the Fiji harbours and the admirable position of those Islands, which he had obtained 20 years ago, when he was the commanding naval officer at that station. At that date he had reported to the Admiralty that the Islands would form a valuable coaling station for Her Majesty's ships in the Pacific, and that the harbours in them were easily accessible to large ships, and available in every way for naval purposes of all kinds. In consequence of the rapid progress of the munity should be placed under regular and responsible government. As an instance of the rapidity of the progress which these Islands had made during the last few years, he might mention that in 1849 he gave the Chief Thackombau, now erroneously called King of Fiji, who has now a Minister of Finance, and who, shortly afterwards, paid the American Government 40,000 dols. for alleged injury done to a Consul, the first dollar he had ever possessed, although at the time His Majesty would have much preferred a musket instead of coin. In 1849 the White population of the Islands consisted of 14 or 15 Englishmen, who possessed one schooner of 25 tons, while the exports and imports were not of more value than £100 per annum, whereas at the present time, the White population numbered 2,040 souls, and the exports were of the annual value of £90,000, and the imports of £82,500; while the number of vessels over the whole of the Group were according to the last return no less than 211. Almost all our colonies had been formed originally by voluntary settlement, and it had afterwards been necessary for this country to step in and give them the benefit of some system of law and government. In the same way, and upon the same principle, the progress of affairs in the Fiji Islands proved that even where there existed but a very small community of White people, it was requisite that some protection against violence and lawlessness should be established. The interests of the natives and the claims of humanity alike demanded that. Nobody could doubt that the contact of White men with a native population among whom slavery was the rule must result in the rapid diminution of that native population; and, moreover, it was not to be expected that a community possessing the greatest facilities for piracy, and being without law, would not prey upon commerce until some settled kind of government and order was introduced into it. Indeed, he thought if it was not primarily a question for us to step in and decide, it would ultimately, on account of its increasing magnitude, become a question which would have to be settled on account of all nations and civilization generally. Motion made, and Question proposed, "That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying Her Majesty that She will be graciously pleased to establish a British Protectorate at Fiji." (Mr. M'Arthur.) MR. EASTWICK said, he was glad that the hon. Member for Lambeth (Mr. M'Arthur) had brought that important subject under the notice of the House, for he (Mr. Eastwick) maintained that it was only a question of time, and that the protectorate of Fiji by this country was not only expedient, but necessary. There was a statement in Part 4 of the Consular Reports recently presented, to the effect that the number of British subjects who had settled in the Fiji Admiral Erskine Islands gave to them the character, though none of the advantages of a British colony. There were, according to that Report, 3,700 British subjects in these Islands, so that, if it were correct that in 1871 the number was 3,000, a rapid increase had taken place. And at thesame time the cultivation of the Islands was extending. The Georgian Group and Leeward Islands contained only 450 French subjects, and not more than 970 Europeans; and the fact that those Islands had been brought under French rule formed a strong argument in favour of a protectorate in islands with 10 times the number of European settlers. Not only that, but the Fiji Islands were almost bordering on the Australian Colonies, and it was fairly asked that they should be a stepping-stone between them and the waste of waters between us. It had been mentioned that the United States had annexed the Navigator Group, and there might be some hon. Gentlemen who would wish that the United States would annex the Fijian Group also; but he could not himself sympathize with that view; and it must also be remembered that the United States had no intention to proceed further in that direction. Moreover, it more properly devolved on Great Britain, for an independent buccaneering Government had been established, which would attract all the desperate characters in Australia and the surrounding islands. It was already raising troops to coerce the peaceable settlers and overawe our Consul, and according to Sir James Martin, the Attorney General of New South Wales, it would interpose difficulties in the way of dealing with offences in the South Seas unless the Imperial Government, without delay, either expressly recognized it, or took possession of Fiji; for if that Government remained unrecognized, the seizure within its limits by British authority of persons charged with offences for the purpose of trying them in these colonies might lead to difficulties of a serious character. He hoped, therefore, the House would support the Motion of his hon. Friend, for the formation of a Government in Fiji was indispensably necessary; indeed, there was no other way to prevent the kidnapping now going on in the South Seas except a British protectorate, for the adoption of that step would enable us to establish an Admiralty Court, and |