From the Fiji Times, September 1, 1900.

Sir.—Since the appearance of Mr. Seddon's letters, a suggestion, emanating from a quarter not difficult to fix, has been here and there made that Fiji should endeavour to obtain Federation with the Commonwealth of Australia, and reject the proposal of Mr. Seddon to federate with New Zealand.

The authors of this suggestion, while they openly profess to be ardent supporters of the principle of self-government—which, be it not forgotten, can only be obtained by means of Federation—are in reality the secret emissaries of those who would prevent the Federation of Fiji with either New Zealand or Australia, and keep her in the trammels of Crown Colony Government. While professing a desire to be quit of Crown Colony Government they advise us to disregard the helping hand held out to us by the Premier of New Zealand—the most powerful colonial statesman of to-day—and to make unsupported advances to statesmen in Australia, who have shown no desire to form an alliance with us, and who, for many a day to come, will be fully occupied in bringing their newly-formed Commonwealth into working order. This suggestion is, in-deed, an admirable one for keeping Fiji under the present blighting system of Government, but it has no other merit. The suggestion is rather a clever device to split the federal vote in the colony in order to wreck the movement for self-government, and so retain the present one-man government page 57 for several more years. It emanates from those at present in power, who, though they at first treated lightly the movement for Federation with New Zealand, are now in fear and trembling, as they believe they see the handwriting appearing upon the wall. The device does not lack astuteness. Should the suggestion be adopted, the Colonial Office would probably have no alternative but to retain Fiji under its own rule. For, see what the adoption of this suggestion would be. Assume that some of us disregard New Zealand's offer to federate with her, and assume Australia willing to respond favorably to advances which may be made to her, and, as a consequence, be led to oppose our Federation with New Zealand. What would be the result? Well, the result would be that in turn New Zealand would oppose our federating with Australia, and we should obtain federation with neither New Zealand or Australia, but, falling between the two, should remain as we are, politically tied and bound for, probably, another generation. Mr. Seddon has proposed to Mr. Chamberlain a federation between New Zealand and Fiji. Mr. Chamberlain has not declined the proposal, but he has replied that it must be discussed with the Commonwealth. The hope of the supporters of Crown Government for Fiji is that the Commonwealth may be led to oppose the Federation of Fiji with New Zealand. It will probably tend to induce such an opposition if some of us make the suggested advance to Australia, therefore, the Crown Colonists hope to lead us to do so. They argue that if Australia can only be induced to oppose the Federation of Fiji with New Zealand, then New Zealand will, in her turn, be sure to oppose our Federation with Australia, and that, as a result Fiji, will remain a Crown Colony.

It is easy to see the difficult position in which the Secretary of State may thus be placed. If, in deference to the opposition of Australia, he should refuse Mr. Seddon's request to allow us to federate with New Zealand, how could he sanction our Federation with Australia, in face of the opposition he would certainly and naturally experience from New Zealand? "The Crown Colonists" hope and expect that, in such case, the Secretary of State would refuse to allow Fiji to federate with either New Zealand or Australia, and that, thereby, Crown Colony Government in Fiji would be perpetuated. I have pointed out the net which is being spread for us. Let us all, who wish for representative government, support the Federation of Fiji with New Zealand, for such a page 58 union will be a long step towards the greater confederation, which will one day include all the English speaking people in the Pacific. We all, whose homes are under the Southern Cross, look forward to the day when the English in Australasia shall be united in one grand Confederation.

The colonies of the Australian mainland, and Tasmania, are now federated; it but remains for New Zealand and Fiji to federate, and subsequently, and in due time, join the great Commonwealth.

He must be blind, indeed, who does not see that nothing is so likely to retard the consummation of that great event as the opposition of Australia to the legitimate aspirations of New Zealand in the direction of Federation with Fiji, and those other portions of the Pacific which, geographically, form part of her. If we desire, ultimately, to form part of a freely governed Australasian Commonwealth, let us eagerly, and at once, accept the invitation of the Premier of New Zealand to federate in the first instance with that colony.