The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-01 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE IN THE SOUTH SEAS.

The. Queensland Agent-General in this country
writes on behalf of the Government and people of his
colony to repudiate all participation in the kidnap-
ping of South Sea Islanders for the Queensland
plantations. The Polynesian Labourers Act was
passed by the Colonial Legislature to restrain the
carrying away of islanders from their native
land, by force or persuasion, and compelling them to
remain in the colony against their will. The mea-
sure, in spite of what has been said to the contrary,
has been largely successful. The introduction of
islanders has been diminished fifty per cent. The
greatest care has been taken to secure the return of
the kidnapped labourers to their native islands.
But, of course, the Agent-General points out, the
Queensland Government can act only at home. It
cannot interfere with what is done at some of the
distant islands. There the Imperial Government
must intefro to with an effective maritime policy.

AMERICAN POSTAL ASTER-GENERAL'S REPORT.

(Continued.)
Passing without comment other unreasonable and il-
liberal propositions, the following may be mentioned as
among the ►mpossible conditions persistently insisted
tpon by the French post department:
First : That France shall have a double share of the in-
terior rates of postage— a demand so extraordinary and
so manifestly unjust us to require no argument to demon-
strate its unfairness, in view of the well-known fact that
the expense of our interior service is not only greater
than that of France, but its extent vastly larger, em-
bracing a territory (exclusive of Alaska) fourteen times
greater than that of France.
Second : That the United States shall establish a line
of mail packets between New York and Brest for the per-
formance of a regular semi• monthly service similar to
the service performed by the subsidized line of French
packets between these ports, or else pay the entire ex-
pense of the sea and British inland transportation of all
mails conveyed by way of England, which constitute at
present mere than four-fifths of the entire correspondence
exchanged with France.
Negotiations have also been opened with the British
post department for a further reduction of the interna-
tional letter postage between the United States and Great
Britain. The exis.ing postal convention with Great
Britain, which went into operation on the Ist of January,
1868, established a reduced international letter rate of six-
pence (twelve cents), and provided that the question of
a further reduction should be considered at the expiration
of twelve months from that date. Agreeing with the
very general expression of opinion on both sides of the
Atlantic in favour of the establishment of ocean penny
postage between the two countries, I made a proposal,
under date of Bth October last, to the General Post-office
in London, to further reduce the postage on 1. tters to
threepence (six cents) on the Ist January, 1870, of which
one p tiny (two cents) should be the sea postage, and one
penny (two cents) the inland postage of each country.
intelligence has lately been communicated by the Brtish
Minister, through the Department of State, of the readi-
ness of the British Government to reduce the single rate
of postage for prepaid lettees to the sum above mentioned.
It may, therefore, be safely announced that this important
measure, so long and so earnestly desired by the people of
the United States and the United Kingdom, as a means of
further promoting their mutual prosperity and happiness,
has been virtually accomplished.