262 
Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
submit to be investigated by the Government of 
New South Wales. They, as a community, 
were Great Britain’s one ewe-lamb of a spotless 
life in the South Seas, and no one but the Queen 
herself had the right of having them “ investi¬ 
gated.” New South Wales, they admitted, had 
some sort of nominal authority over them; 
but they were not going to tolerate anything 
like an official investigation by a colonial 
government. 
The Government of New South Wales, how¬ 
ever, was obdurate, and two years ago, despite 
the angry protestations of the majority of the 
islanders, a Commission was sent down from 
Sydney empowered to make a searching inquiry 
into the administration of the island laws, and 
to ascertain whether or not it would be ad¬ 
visable to administer Norfolk Island according 
to the laws of New South Wales. 
For a fortnight the Commission held nearly 
daily sittings, and examined a great number 
of witnesses, and then at the conclusion of its 
labours the President, Mr. Oliver, called a 
public meeting of the male inhabitants, and 
addressed them very eloquently. He pointed 
out to them that they had no power to disregard 
