Midst Volcanic Fires —— An Account of Missionary Tours, Among the Volcanic Islands of the New Hebrides

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ISBN: 9781331803119 出版年：2016 页码：303 Maurice Frater Forgotten Books

The past generation knew of the New Hebrides Islands through the life and labours of the sainted john G. Paton. The present generation is aware of their existence mainly by reason of the novel form of Government that is in operation — the New Hebrides Condominium, or system of Dual Govern ment by which Great Britain and France jointly attempt to administer the islands. Established in 1906, it was an attempt to settle the vexatious dis putes between the rival claimants for the ownership of the islands. It made provision for the establish ment of a system of dual control whereby every service is duplicated — two resident commissioners, British and French; two sets of officials, British and French two coinages, British and French, with one of them undergoing, during recent years, heavy depreciation, producing endless confusion; two codes of law, English and French, with a Spanish judge as president of the joint court. During its sixteen years of existence the Condominium hasw proved a hopeless experiment, failure inevitably arising from the impossibility of harmonising the British and French ideals in regard to the treatment of native races.