The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-22 00:00:00

SEMI-SLAVERY IN QUEENSLAND.

The employment of natives of the South Sea Islands in
the Australian colonies has been the subject of a large
public meeting at Sydney. Petitions are to be sent to the
two Houses of Parliament in Queensland, praying them to
repeal the Polynesian Labourers Act if necessary. The
Bishop of Sydney spoke strongly against the working of
.this Act, which permits the importation of South Sea
islanders into Queensland ; and some sad revelations were
made of the injuries inflicted by captains in recruit-
ing the poor islanders under the license of the
Queensland Government. The wife of a mis-
sionary furnished some accounts which showed how
the slave traffic was being carried on in these islands.
In one case the authorities have been compulled to put
the law in force against the captain and one of
the crew of a vessel. They are to take
their trial for, the murder of three natives
of one of the New Hebrides group of islands. Many
shippers are engaged in this traffic, which can be carried
on under the sanction of the Queensland Parliament.
The Sydney petition has sliewn that slavery in the
colonies will he the consequence of this system of kidnap-
ping if the injustice is not put a stop to.

JOHN JAY, U.S. MINISTER TO AUSTI?IA.

Last week we announced that Mr. John Jay had
been selected for the Embassy to Austria, and his no-
mination was among those sanctioned by the Senate
on Monday. The name recals that of his grand-
father, whose signature is attached to the Declara-
tion of Independence, and is endeared to the
American mind by an association with an act which
must remain as of the greatest political importance
that occurred on the Continent. Though the grand-
son is a lawyer of eminence and a speaker of no
ordinary ability, he has for the last few years been
most associated, with the Union League Club, an
influential organization established in New York
City, first to grapple with the spirit of disloyalty
which threatened to paralyse the action of the
North on the outbreak of the war, and afterwards
to combat the corruption which has lately spread
like a cancer in the large cities of the Republic.
Other Union Leagues have been formed and have
become a power in the land ; but that which
has indelibly associated its history with the war
is the parent club of New York, of which Mr.
John Jay has been for an anxious period, Presi-
dent. On the 23d of June, 1866, he issued an
address to the members, which we have before us
while we write. It was sent from Europe, where
the President then was, resigning the post, as he
feared his absence might be detrimental to the ob-
jects whose interests the club was pledged to up-
hold. his attempt to resign was overridden by the
unanimous voice of the organization, and Mr. Jay
has since held the post and resided in New York.
The brief history he therein gives of the club's con-
nection with the events lately enacted and then en-
acting, is of the more interest as nearly three years
have elapsed since it was written. That it was
truthful in its exposition of the past may partly be
judged from the singular accuracy of its predictions.
The remarks on education are specially worthy of
note. "To secure ignorance on the part of the
masses was the deliberate policy of slavery." " Sla-
very may be destrOyed in a day, but its unpleasant
traits may survive for a generation. The brutal
ignorance, political degeneracy, and social degra-
dation that it engenders demands for their ex-
tinction systematic and persevering efforts."
"Universal education in a Republic governed
by popular suffrage is a thing not simply de-
sirable, but absolutely essential to the safety
and welfare of the people. . • .
ably an unenlightened constituency becomenev the
blind tools of designing politicians, and in New
York the less educated Democracy were made
throughout the Rebellion to do the work of the
aristocrats and despots of Europe, whom they do
not profess to love ; in assisting the rebel attempt
to divide the Union and to overthrow at once the
American Government and popular freedom."
Further on he alludes to the dangers which fos-
ter the insolent ambition of unscrupulous leaders,
which facilitate the corruption that thrives by the
" lobby" or the " ring," and saddle the industry of
the community with exorbitant taxes to administer
to private and political profligacy. On the 27th
of March last the Union League Club met to con-
sider measures pending at Albany, relating to the
City of New York. Mr. Jay, who occupied the chair,
said :

"The Union League Club bad been original]) organized
with a view to the preservation of the Union, but that
great end being accomplished they had adoptel a new
principle—namely, resistance to, and exposure of, corrup-
tion, wherever found in State or municipal affairs. Mr.
Jay referred to the actions taken by the Club in other
matters of a kindred nature. It bad, last year, opposed
the appropriations for the support of the Roman Catholic
schools of a private character, and, subsequently, the

naturalization frauds received its attention. Beso
tions, respcting the election frauds in the city et',
New York, at last general election, were then lead
adopted, The preamble referred to the Assembly 0°:
mittee on privileges and elections appointed to investigate
these frauds. The committee have discovered that the
frauds practised at the election
on the 3d of November last
far exceeded anything of the kind in our past hisWila
that they bad been conducted upon a systematic plan, 3.
11 if
with the knowledge and connivance of prominent ofcia
of New York. These frauds comprehended every Iwown
crime against the elective franchise. Now, therefore re-
solved that Congress be respectfully besought to glv6 v,
this subject their united and earnest attention, and Eco
.0
,
dain at the present session some scheme of naturaliz E
which, while offering all proper facilities for the n t 11A r.
lization of aliens, will preserve unimpaired the high dig'
nity of American citizenship, which has been so shame
fully degraded by fraud and perjury, and which will st
%,iEss
the same time wipe out the fraudulent and counte";.
certificates of naturalization with which the country Lib
been flooded, inviolation of law and justice, and Is
which, if they are not annulled by Congress, the abet",
of the late conspiracy hope to perpetuate their tt
power."
Of
However popular may be the appointment
John Jay to the Court at Vienna, we cannot but
regret that he should be removed from his present
sphere of usefulness. It is not every man that Wl'
undertake the thankless task of attempting to stem
the tide of corruption. It is not one for which h°
is paid ; it commands no patronage or power, apa
receives but the feeble support of peop'e who seec
only hazily the deep interest to themselves and the
children involved, while those whose operations 31. e
interfered with direct at the head of the reformer
torrent of calumny and vituperation, subjentill
him to every indignity iu their power. Hence th
rascals thrive, and society finds so few charoPiol3o
to guard its interests. No man in Congress in'
been more abused than Mr. Elihu B. Washburset
the United States Minister just appointed to France'
and although Mr. John Jay had a club at his bask;
we dare say he has been made to feel the effects 01"
his action. We doubt whether it be for the na-
tional good that influential men, willing to take up
such a part, should be offered Foreign Missions,
although it may be agreeable to themselves t°
change a post of detraction for one of houelir.
However, the energies of the Union League Club
n
have been, and are well directed ; and we hope
there are many among its members on whom DI"
Jay's mantle may fall, and that there are Repre-
sentatives in Congress not incompetent or unwilliiinB
to act the "Treasury watch-dog'spart," whosebsi
we fear, will not soon again be heard in the'llall °
the House. —Anglo-American Times.