Taylor (New Zealand), Messrs. Henry Blaine (Cape Colony), Martin Innes Taylor (New Zealand), J. Flack, James Alexander, Thomas Walters, Martin Kirby, John Findley, A. Charles de Crespigny, Dr. W. R. Pugh (Victoria), Messrs. W. B. d'Almeida, J. F. Joaquim, Nathaniel Levin (New Zealand), J. H. Mayhew, W. H. Carter, William Stone, J. S. Glover, A. G. Fowler, Mr. J. J. Phelps and Mrs. Phelps (Victoria), Messrs. W. A. Mackinnon, C.B.; Alexander Turnbull (New Zealand), John A. Tiffin, A. Bugel, Frederick S. Isaac, C. Birch, S. B. Browning (New Zealand), Frederick B. Birt, C. Bethill, H. B. Halswell, S. Joshua, J. Snell, Thomas Massey, E. A. Wallace, Samuel Hill, George Tinline (South Australia), Rev. A. Cazenove, Messrs. J. M. Peacock (Cape Colony), Hugh L. Taylor, (New Zealand), Hugh L. Taylor, jun. (New Zealand), E. R. Siron, B. Isaac, John Marshall, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Evans, Messrs. C. H. Goode, C. D. Buckler, Thomas Short, Charles Conquest, Edward Pharazya (New Zealand), Clayton, A. Isaac, D. Mackie, O. U. Mordaunt, G. W. Cooper, Dr. Herschell, Messrs. Vesey-Fitzgerald, E. B. Cargill (New Zealand), John Pulker, G. R. Godson (Canada), W. Peacock, Alexander Rogers (late Bombay), Mrs. Edward Barry, Rev. Edward James, Messrs. W. L. Shepherd, William Hemmant (Commissioner for Queensland at Paris Exhibition), Thomas Hamilton (Queensland), James Bonwick (Victoria), F. Mackinlay, A. Scrimgeour, W. Scrimgeour, Hugh R. Fletcher (Newfoundland), J. Larkin, J. Cashel Hoey (New Zealand), H. M. Hyndman, B. Thomson, J. H. Thomas, N. Kumagai (Japan), J. Sanjo (Japan), Alfred Romilly (Queensland), Mr. and Mrs. Wolf Harris (New Zealand), Messrs D. G. Michie, W. P. Lee, T. M. Harrington, Thomas Baynes (Antigua, West Indies), Mr. and Mrs. Jepson Atkinson, Mr. and Mrs, Lester Walker, Mr. B. Lewis, C. J. Poole, Mr. Arthur Lyttelton Young and Miss Young Frederick Young (Hon. Secretary), &c. &c.

Mr. FREDERICK YOUNG (Hon. Sec.) read the Minutes of the Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the Session, which were confirmed. His GRACE then called upon Sir JULIUS VOGEL, K.C.M.G., AgentGeneral for New Zealand, to read the following paper on

NEW ZEALAND AND THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS, AND THEIR RELATION TO THE EMPIRE.

I propose first to ask you to allow me to give you a few facts about New Zealand and the South Sea Islands, and, subsequently, to consider these facts in relation to the great subject of a Federated Empire. As practical men, I am sure you will agree with me that the question of Federation must be considered on more than general grounds. Whenever it is discussed with the idea of deciding some immediate proposition for putting it in force, it will have to bear the brunt of the most searching investigation in relation to its effects on every part of the vast dominions which it concerns. As an ardent advocate of Federation, I think I shall humbly perform

some small service to the cause if I discuss the condition of that part of the Empire with which I am best acquainted, and point out how the various facts to which I allude have, more or less, a bearing on the great question itself. If those connected with the central seat of the Empire would perform a like task, a step would be made towards focussing the various interests to be served, which would greatly aid the final determination of the exact details of the plan to be advocated. When the day arrives for propounding the scheme with a view to its immediate adoption, the realms of generalisation and of sentiment, in which at present the question too much dwells, will have to be deserted for a matter-of-fact material and precise footing on the dominions themselves which are the subject of the proposal.

How to reach New Zealand naturally is the first inquiry. New Zealand, in common with some of the Australian Colonies, enjoys this advantage: a visit to it may be made the excuse for sauntering over almost every portion of the habitable world. The emigrant whose one idea is to reach the land he intends to adopt may find his best route in a direct sailing vessel. Excellent ships, excellently found, constantly leave Great Britain for various ports in New Zealand, and passages may be obtained at from £15 to £50, according to the class the emigrant desires to travel. If pleasure is his object, or if with even business objects in view, he can afford time and money, a wide range of selection lies open to him. He may proceed to either Canada or the United States, and after roaming over the Eastern States at his ease, find his way to Chicago by one of the innumerable lines of railway that converge on that marvellous commercial centre. From Chicago he can proceed by way of Omaha, by railway, to the far West. From New York to San Francisco it takes seven days, and from London San Francisco may be reached in nineteen days. The traveller by this route, however, generally prefers to loiter some time on the road. From San Francisco splendidly-appointed and powerful steamers run to New Zealand in twenty-three days. On their way they call at the interesting kingdom of Hawaia, or as it is often called, the Sandwich Islands. Hawaia is interesting from many points of view; one of great moment as affecting the future of the numerous islands of the Southern Ocean is the capacity for governing, and for being governed under a constitutional system, exhibited by the native race. Recently Hawaia entered into a treaty with the United States, in virtue of which, in exchange for the admission of American goods to Hawaia free of duty, the sugar produced in Hawaia is admitted to the United

States free of duty. This is equivalent to something like a bonus of £15 a ton. Its effect may be recognised. From a dull, lethargic condition, Hawaia has sprung into an animated existence, comparable only with the vitality one notices when gold in quantity is newly-discovered in a country in which it was unsuspected. What does it matter-gold, diamonds, sugar, oil? Let any country suddenly discover an undreamt-of source of wealth, and its inhabitants are not slow to make use of it. £15 a ton added to the value of sugar has, in little more than one year, nearly doubled its production, and Hawaia, under the impulse the United States has kindly lent it, will probably become the seat of manufacture of colossal fortunes. But we must proceed on our voyage. The route from Hawaia passes close to the Navigator or Samoan group of islands. It would, I think, have been better for the English Government to have taken possession of these instead of Fiji, if the annexation of only one group was to be permitted. It is sadly a pity to allow these islands, the best in many respects of all Polynesia, to remain as they are-the theatre of innumerable lawless scenes. The San Francisco steamer touches Auckland, and then proceeds to Sydney. Coastal steamers carry the passengers from Auckland to any part of New Zealand they desire to reach.

Another and very favourite route is by a fast steamer to Melbourne, round the Cape of Good Hope. The passage to Melbourne this way has been made in forty-two days. From Melbourne there are plenty of excellent steamers constantly leaving for various ports in New Zealand. Those who wish to see as much as possible, and, like Childe Harold,

traverse Paynim shores and cross earth's central line," may visit almost every part of Southern Europe, Egypt, India, Java, Sumatra, and Singapore en route to New Zealand by one of the many plans which can be adopted in connection with the route by Suez or the Canal. The passenger can embark at Southampton, and proceeding through the Mediterranean, stopping at Gibraltar at Malta and after passing through the Suez Canal, at Suez and Aden, he can reach Galle in the Island of Ceylon without change of steamer. Thence he can embark in a steamer which, after calling at Albany in West Australia, and Glenelg in South Australia, will land him in Melbourne. Instead of proceeding by sea and land to Suez, he may roam through Europe, and from Marseilles, Trieste, or Brindisi reach Alexandria. After making himself acquainted with Egypt he may reach Suez. He can then

travel over India if he like, and when he arrives at Galle he is not bound to the route before mentioned to Melbourne. He can take steamer to Singapore, and thence, by way of Torres Straits, touching at various points, including Batavia, Somerset, and Bowen, reach Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. From Sydney there are frequent steamers to New Zealand.

The following approximately represents the time from England to New Zealand by the various routes: By sailing vessel, 90 days; by San Francisco route, 41 days; by route by sea through the Canal to Suez by Galle and Melbourne, 61 days; by overland to Brindisi, and by railway across Isthmus of Suez, 53 days; by overland to Brindisi by Singapore, Brisbane, and Sydney, 61 days.

Not without an object have I thus referred to the various ways of reaching New Zealand. Some of my audience, thoroughly familiar with what I have described, will, I fear, accuse me of a commonplace introduction. But there are many who take an interest in the Colony less well informed than those of my hearers to whom I have alluded. At any rate, most people will agree with me that the circumstances of a country cannot be well understood unless amongst those circumstances is taken into account its connection and means of communication with other countries.

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This brings me to two remarkable facts; facts which will, I think, materially shape the future destiny of New Zealand, viz. there is no country of any moment which possesses in proportion civilised to its area such an extensive sea-board, nor is there country of importance so completely isolated from other countries. It is customary to term New Zealand the Great Britain of the South, but Great Britain is twenty miles from Europe, New Zealand a thousand miles at the least from Australia. Its immense sea-board must inevitably tend to make New Zealand an essentially maritime country. Its isolated position, not I admit without some disadvantages as regards commerce, has compensating qualifications-in the self-helpfulness, self-reliance, and love of country it is calculated to produce. Without any artificial fiscal provision, it gives great advantage to local productions and manufactures. They start in the race favourably weighted in competing with foreign producers. When it is considered that its mineral wealth is abundant, and that it can produce all the staples that thrive in climates varying from the temperate to the sub-tropical, it will be seen that within itself New Zealand is almost the epitome of a whole hemisphere. Within its narrow limits thousands of different interests will, in course of time, materially aid each other.

Pray do not do me the injustice to suppose that I wish to see New Zealand independent of other countries, or think that her being so would be a source of profit to herself. The great industries of the country will grow only by competition with other countries. Time will gradually show what the Colony can do best itself, what it can best procure from abroad, and what it can best supply in exchange.

A long line upon the waters, the three islands of New Zealand extend over a length of nearly 1,200 miles. Their general direction is north-north-east to south-south-west. North and south the islands extend about 900 miles, so that they possess a great variety of climate. Southland is of nearly the same temperature as England, the north of Auckland is semi-tropical. The average breadth of the islands is about 120 miles. No part of the Colony is distant from the sea-coast more than seventy-five miles. At Auckland the island narrows so that from coast to coast can be reached in six miles. The north island is about 500 miles long; its greatest breadth about 250 miles. The south island is about the same length-its greatest breadth 200 miles. The area of the north island is about 44,000 square miles, or rather less than than of England. The area of the south is 55,000 square miles, or about the size of England and Wales. The two islands are separated by Cook's Straits, thirteen miles across at the narrowest part. Stewart's Island is to the south of the Southern (sometimes called Middle) Island, and is separated from it by Fouveaux Straits. The three islands have an area almost equal to Great Britain and Ireland.

Let us run rapidly over them. But first it must be remarked that though as separate governments the provinces cease to exist, still as provincial districts they constitute convenient geographical divisions. Let us suppose ourselves at Auckland, on the east coast of the province of the same name in the North Island. Auckland possesses in the waters of the Waitemata and the surrounding scenery one of the loveliest harbours in the world. For beauty it is often joined with the celebrated harbours of Rio Janiero, of Naples, and of Sydney. To the north of Auckland the province extends some 200 miles. The water facilities of this portion of the Colony are very considerable. Here dwells the Ngapuhi tribe of Maories, as the native race are termed, whose lasting adherence to the English rule have gained for them the title of the "loyal Ngapuhi.” At the Bay of Islands, 120 miles north of the city of Auckland, the treaty of Waitangi, by which the Maories acknowledged themselves British subjects, was signed in 1840. The capabilities of the northern part of the Auckland province have as yet been