The Progress of the World. 



147 



condition the basis ot" future progress. We 

 (h) not for one moment belittle the import- 

 ance of Dr. Morrison's appointmenr, well 

 deserved as it is, and gratifying to tiie 

 15ritish ICmpirc, since Dr. Morrison is an 

 Australian, but we gauge tlie measure of his 

 ability toniould tiie future without too 

 iiuich influence from the past. 



'^I'he repott of tiie British 



Consul-General in Peru 

 Peiu and Congo. , ^ ■ 



on the atrocious cruelties 



])erpetrated by the officials 



of a British rubber company on the natives 



of certain districts of Peru caused an in- 



e\ itabie recollection of the words of scorn 



and unmeasured attacks upon tlie Belgians 



HI the Congo State of some short time ago. 



Here was a 15ritisli company guilty of the 



same iniquities as we had accused the 



Belgians of committing. While taking 



into account the inevitable " going black " 



even of Euro])eans when released from the 



control of civilised surroundings, we trust 



that no measures will be left untaken to 



ensure that the Peruvian horror ceases ; 



indeed, we think it probable that United 



States action will be of powerful avail in 



this direction. (Jood will come out of evil, 



however, if those who are o|K'nly if not 



ostentatiously interested in the welfare ot 



the n:)tive races learn two things: First, 



discrimination and judgment ; and second, 



that fretjuently self-interest is to be found 



in those who advocate the most seemingly 



high reforms. This was so in the Congo, 



and it is an ever-present danger lying in 



wait for all philanthropic societies existing 



for a single object. They really are an easy 



l)rey for the unscrupulous and commercial 



merchant and concession ininier — once 



convinced the society and those who are 



connected with it go full steam ahead, often 



doing great harm to those whom they prcj- 



fess to benefit. 



A Case 

 in 

 Point. 



A question of native rights 

 in the Gold^Coast Colony 

 has arisen out of the Forest 

 Bill of igii, and a de]ni- 

 tation from the native chiefs and the 

 million odd inhabitants is in I>ondon at 

 the present time to voice the grievances of 

 the natives in regard to it. Previous Bills 

 met with the opposition of kings and chiefs, 

 it being asserted that the rights of the 

 natives woukl be interfered with. To a 

 deputation to the Colonial Office in 1897 

 Mr. Chamberlain acknowledged the justice 

 of the objections raised against the Bill, 

 and It was prevented from becoming law. 

 The present Rill also introduces similar 

 encroachments, but under the name ot 

 management. If passed, it would give the 

 Governor power to declare land subject to 

 forest reservation 5 to prohibit the taking 

 of timber, rubber, etc., during certain 

 periods ; and to constitute forest reserves. 

 The deputation pleads that by taking away 

 the control of the land from the kings and 

 chiefs the whole fabric of native institutions 

 will be destroyed. They cite the statement 

 of the Conservator of Forests to show that 

 the timber areas have scarcclv been touched, 

 that it is the native alone who is able to 

 cultivate the soil to its utmost possibility, 

 and that the Kuro]5ean cannot dispense 

 with him. It would, therefore, be a great 

 mistake to dcjjrive the native of the 

 management of his own land. From time 

 immemorial these lands ha\e belonged to 

 the natives, and it is by their labour that 

 the great cocoa industry has been built up. 

 It" we wish them to remain indejjendent and 

 not suffer undue hardshi]), we ought to allow 

 them the continued possession of their own 

 land. * It would be both unjust to those who 

 are under our protection and contrary to 

 the traditions of the British Empire were 

 the British (Jovernment to be led away by 

 the insidious vvhisjierings of interested parties, 

 and |)enalisc the natives of the (Jold Coast 

 for their success in cocoa growing by 

 destroying the whole labric of their state 

 constitution. 



