No leas than five Societies and Corporations, including the Manchester
Chamber of Commerce and the Wesleyan Missionary Society, sent deputations to Lord Carnarvon on Tuesday to pro- test against the exchange of the colony of the trambia for the French stations on the Gold Coast. They argued that trade, which has now grown to £310,000 a year, would be injured, that the 14,000 inhabitants disliked the change, and that the Wesleyan stations, on which £100,000 have been expended, would all be broken up. Lord Carnarvon stated that his single desire in the matter was to secure better administration and more revenue for the Gold Coast, by rounding off that large property, and that he would gladly find another plan, but the French would accept no other equivalent. He promised the Deputations, how- ever, that no farther step should be taken in the direction of the exchange without the full consent of Parliament. The desire to round off a colony and get rid of smuggling is naturally strong, and it is annoying to see arms and ammunition sold freely to , enemies like the Ashanteea ; but we doubt, in spite of the opinion of Lord Kimberley, whether the Gambia should be parted with. Nobody quite knows what the command of a great river like that and its delta may be worth, and subjects who have been with us for two centuries should not be handed over, except for the gravest reason, to rulers so much more stern and selfish. The safety of the Gold Coast colony is a grave reason, but a reason which requires more evidence than the public has yet =obtained.
Previous page
