Almost the last recorded words of Mr. were a spirited protest against the [unclear: gard] of Australasian interests display-[unclear: by] Britain in the settlement with [unclear: re] the New Hebrides difficnlty, and [unclear: ning] of the perils which must menace [unclear: British] Empire in Australasia from the [unclear: nce] in latitudes so close to our own [unclear: many] settlements belonging to other [unclear: pean] nations. Thirty or 40 years be-[unclear: aim], when the future of the Pacific [unclear: to] loom on the horizon, Sir George [unclear: planned] a confederation of the is-a time when they could, had we have been "all-red," but the [unclear: e] met with little favour and scant [unclear: sy] in London. To the Colonial [unclear: such] dreams as these were distaste-[unclear: and] those who dreamed them were [unclear: en]. These great colonial Imperial-[unclear: have] gone, and those in power to-day [unclear: an] indifference and want of [unclear: loresight] [unclear: grad] to island interests that are diffi-[unclear: to] imprehend. If Sir George Grey [unclear: had] his way, the British Hag would [unclear: perhaps], have been flying across [unclear: Pacific] from east to west, for all these [unclear: might] have been ours, and Kip-will-known lines have been no but an actuality—

Never was isle so little.
Never was sea so lone.
But over the scud and the palm tree
An English flag was flown.

[unclear: Other] nations have taken the gifts that [unclear: fused;] other flags fly where ours [unclear: asked] for other nations are busy [unclear: ng] their trade find extending their [unclear: ions]. And New Zealand's hold on [unclear: lands] is being loosened, and our trade [unclear: dually] slipping away.