The Royal Niger Company held its annual meeting on Friday
week. Sir George Goldie, the Governor, in his address, described "the campaign against the Company" carried on by the French Colonial party, and related how Captain Lugard defeated the attempts of the French to get possession of territories secured to England by international agreement. After Captain Lugard had made it impossible for the French to manufacture a claim to portions of the Niger territory by making treaties with Nikki, "a swarm of French expeditions " entered the Company's dominions. " Agent-General Wallace," continued Sir G. Goldie, "very properly telegraphed to us for permission to eject them, and we agree with him that he had sufficient available force for that purpose. But from the time of the issue of the Charter we have never forgotten, nor are we likely to forget, that the Company's position as a Government is that of the authorised delegate of her Majesty, and that the Niger Territories, as a British Protectorate, and therefore part of the Empire, must ho subject to its interests as a whole. Believing that diplomacy would afford us redress, we did not feel justified in taking precipitate action, which might have had far-reaching conse- quences elsewhere. We are not at liberty to do more at present than assure you that we have taken all the steps ad- visable in the circumstances." That is not, very pleasant reading. It shows how very near we have been, and perhaps still are, to an actual encounter with France. Sir George Goldie is to be congratulated on the moderation and restraint of his speech. Nothing could have been better than its tone, which, while firm and straightforward to an eminent degree, was yet essentially friendly and courteous towards the French. It is clear that the present state of tension cannot continue. Our Government must insist that France shall come to a clear understanding of our rights, and then respect them.
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