The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-09-22
N,RF SUPREME COURTS B. SCORES POINT CLASSES MY I'M GAA BRIGHT BOY CALLED
THE BRITISH ANNEXATION OF
NORFOLK ISLAND.
\ Matter Deserving the Attention of a
Local Clerical Statesman-But a
Good Plan. Too.

Star Newspaper: friend gives me
an extract from a Sydney letter to the
Makay Standard, which seems to have
some pertinence to Bishop Willis view
of wrong done to Hawaiians, and as to
British practice in similar cases. 1t is
as follows:
OPPRESSED NATIONALITIES.
in the matter of oppressed nation.
alities we are no longer to be restrict
ed to Crete and Armenia. We are to
have an oppressed nationality of our
own in the shape of Norfolk Island.
Since the mutiny of the Bounty the in
habitants of this little spot have main
tanned patriarchal rule of their own.
But the island is conveniently placed
for port of call, and both British and
Colonial governments from time have
looked with a covetous eye upon it. 1t
is now said that the inhabitants have
drifted into lawlessness and that, in
the interests of good government, the
island must be annexed. This sounds
suspiciously like one of those preteNts
which wolves have no difficulty in
framing when they wish to swallow
lambs. The upshot has been that the
Imperial Government has offered the
control of the island to New South
Wales and that Mr. Reid has accepted
it. Although all civilized government is
supposed to rest upon the consent of
the governed, the original inhabitants
do not appear to have been consulted
at all. Mr.. Reid explains that he
thought it would be "churlish to re-
fuse" to do Lord Salisbury's dirty
work for him. The Norfolk islanders,
however, declare that both Lord Sails
lhury aud Mr.. Reid are contemplating
an act of constituencies international
robbery. The next act in the drama
will be an expedition in sufficient force
to put New South Wales resident in
possession of the island against the
will of the settlers. The episode is not
a pleasant one and may yet cause ser
| ious trouble"
Norfolk island. like Hawaii, contains
Il Polynesian population of mixed
white blood. Like Hawaii, also, its po
sition makes it an important port of
call, requiring more capable govern
h. Dn1, 4, Ia; &c.
are competent to supply.
The Norfolk islanders are probably
British subjects. They are descendants
of the Bounty mutineers, who left Pit
eairn's island for their present home
by British permission. Norfolk island
had previously been a prison for the
more refractory class of Botany Bay
convicts. 1t seems quite probable that
the structures of the Sydney writer are
untenable, on account of the estab
lished prior rights of England in thai
island.
| That the islanders have fallen into
disorder is not unlikely. If so, Eng
lish resumption of authority there
may be kindness to them. as well as
necessary for the commercial public
Is England called upon to be governed
by the sentiments of the natives in the
matter? That She will be, seems quite
unlikely from her past history.
One cannot help querying, whether,
If Norfolk island were within the linn.
its of the diocese of Bishop Willis, hd
would feel it his duty to encourage the
islanders in their view that the estab-
lishment of competent white govern
ment was "an act of constituencies in
ternational robbery" Is it not suppos-
able that the excellent Bishop might
see the wisdom of advising them
cheerfully to fall in with the new re-
gime? S. f. B.