1365
18 8 4.
VICTORIA.
NEW GUINEA PROTECTORATE.
~·····-------------
FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE
IN CONTINUATION OF PAPER No. 60 OF' PRESENT SESSION.
l'UKSKNTim TO BOTH HOUSES OF P ARLIAMKNT BY HIS EXCELLENCY'S COMMAND.
~).!
autbotit).!:
JOHN FERUES, GOVJCHNMENT PRINTER, MEJ,BOURNE.
No. 97.
Al'PROXDIATE COST OJ;' PAPER,
Prcpnration.-Not given.
Printing (l,OGO copico)
£ 8. d.
18 ()
1367
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
.
From Whom.
To Whom.
188!.
Mr. R. Murray Smith
Mr. Service
~1r.
Mr. Service
R. :VIurrny Smith
P. 84/
2195
6 .Tuly
No. 84f
19 Ang.
Encloses copy of intended question in House
of Commons, by Mr. Hobert Fowler, Lord
:Mayor
2801
1
Mr. R. Murray Smith
Mr. Service
,,
P. 8-ij 120
2236
5
1
Telcgrmn.-Movc Colonial Office to promise
annexation of Islands when Federal Council constituted
5
Telegram.-Re Annexation.
Le taken till October
No action can
5
Mr. R. Murray Smith
Mr. Service
P. 8"1/
2361
11 July
Communicates reply given to Mr. Fowler's
qnestion in House of Commons. See
above, P. 84/21!)5
6
Mr. R. Murray Smith
Mr. Service
P. 8-lf
2864
18
ForwardH, as promised, full report of interview between Agents-General and Lord
Derby, on 2nd July. Is seeking to obtain
information as to extent of Protectorate,
hy means of a question in Parliament
7
Mr. Service
Mr. R. Mnrray Smith
26 Aug.
Confirms statements of hi;; letter of 28th
July* (No. 84/2024). Cannot think Her
Majesty's Advisers will recede from
terms of Despatclws of 0 th May,
1884, and 11th July, 1883. Urge on
Imperial Govcmment irreparable loss to
Australa:::ia if Islands pass to another
Power
9
25 July
]?orwards a rep01t of J>riuce Bismarck's
utterances in Heichstag, on 23rd J nne;
also a literal translation of his speech in
Beichstag on 2Gth ,Tune
10
Draws attention to enclosed copy of Report,
containing letter from British ConsulGeneral at Frankfort-on-1\lainc, as to the
opomtions of the German Colonial Association
13
•••
No. 84j
"
2405
Mr. R. Murray Smith
Mr. Service
P. 84/
2480
Mr. R. Murray Smith
Mr. Service
P. 84/
2482
Mr. R. Mnrmy Smith
Mr. Service
P. 84/
2528
Mr. R. Murrny Smith
Mr. Service
P. 84/
2529
25
,
1 Aug. States that. no reply lms yet lJeen receivetl 17
from Coloniul Ollice to statement of views ·
made by AgeutF-General in their interview of 2m1 Jnly
1
"
States that. un intended. question in House
of Commons, lJy Sir vV. McArthur, as to
nature of the Protectorate, has been postponed. Has urged on Colonial Office
prompt action as regards New Guinea and
Islands
• See Parliamentnry Paper No. 60 of 1884.
18
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS-continued.
From Whom.
To Whom.
Date.
No.
---- ---1---
l-
Subject.
Page.
!
1884. I
:Mr. R. :Murray Smith
Mr. Service
Earl of Derby, Secre- LordAugustusLoftus,
tary of State for the
Governor of New
Colonies
South \Vales
I'. 84/
2G78'
15 Aug.: Forwards Report of discussion in House
of Commons ari;;ing out of Sir \V.
:McArthm's question.
:Mr. Glad;;tone
declines extend Protectorate further than
New Gninea. Draws attention toDespateh
from :Mr. Depnty CommissioHcr Romilly,
nbo to lettm· from himself to 'l~imes
fonn<ilcd ou that Despatch showing necessity for action to preclude Foreign appropriatiou Pacific territory
19
P. 84/
3268
30 Oct.
Telegram.-Geneml Scmtchley appointed
Special Commis:>ioner for New Guinea.
Suggest:> that Colonies should appoint
Council of Advice. Describes character
of Commisflioner's jmisdiction, and asks
Colonic;; to double Uw £15,000 already
guaranteed
21
5 Nov.
Submits propocie(l reply (o preceding
21
G
Enclosure to above. Draft telcgrarn.-Communicates approval of suggested Council
of Advice ; prefers, however, Federal
Council as proposed in Sydney resolutions;
a;; to proposal to llouble ~ubsidy, would
gladly do ,.;o to secure Protectorate l;;lamls
as well as New Guinen. Desire~ to know
if country outside P1·otectorate mHler
jnri,;diction of Deputy Commis;;ionel' will
he protected from Foreign occupation
22
20 ,
Telegra1u.--Reports cablegram from Lord
Derby statiug that, on eou;;idemtion of
replies fl'Om Colonies to questiou:-; of sngge~ted increased suusidy and Council of
Advice, these mntters wi.ll now he left for
Commissioner to deal with on anival.
Genl. Scratchley wi 11 sail 20th November
22
15 Oet.
Tran,;mHs eopy of letter Colouial Ofliee to
Admimlty requesting proclamation of Her
Majesty's Protedomte over H. Coast New
Guinea. No persons will be allowed to
aeq uire land within protected area unle;;s
cxpre:~sly authorized hy proper official
22
:Mr. Service
Sir H. B. Loch, Governor
3329
Sir H. B. Loch, K.C.B.,
&c., Govemorof Victoria
The Earl of Derby ...
No. 84/
Lord A. Loftus
Sit· Il. B. Loch
3329
P. 84/
"
3-td
Earl of Derby
Sir H. B. Loch
P. 84/
3480
Sir R. G. W. Herbert,
U uder-Secretary for
the Colonies
The Secretary to the Euclosurp,
Admiralty
to
P. 84/
3480
8
,
Annonnees decisiou a~ t(• estnhlishmeut
alHl limit~ of New Guinea Protectorate.
Collllllodore commanding on the Aus~
tmliau Station to carry tlecision in to effect.
Requests that n ship of war be stationed
off the protected coast during remainder
of eurrent year
1369
CORRESPONDENCE.
P. 84/2195.
THE AGENT-GENEnAL TO THE Pmmnm.
2087/84.
Federation and Anne.1:ation.
8, Victoria Chambertl, 'Vcstminster, S.vV.,
4th .July, 1884.
Sm,
*
*
*
*
*
':1'
*
*
*
J\:Ir.
Robert Fowler, Lord Mayor, hat;~not, however, in concert with us-given notice of a
question in the House of Commons on the subject, of which I enclose a copy, and I
propose that a similar interrogatory, in somewhat more precise form, shall be made
by one of our friends. If we allow Parliament to rise before it is settled, we shall be
powerless until next year.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
THE
HoNOHABLI~
RonT. MurmAY SMITH.
THE PnE.M:nm,
MELBOURNE.
[ENCLOSURE TOP. 84/2195.]
13. Mr. l~oLert Fowler : To ask the U ndcr Scerctary of State for the Colonies, whether Her
Majesty's Govemment have entered into any provisional arrangement. with the Australian Colonies with
reference either to New Guinea or to the i~l<tmL of the 'Vestctn Pacific generally. [~Ionday, 7th July.]
No. 84/2301.
TELEGltA:\I.
Trm PREMIER To THE
AGENT-GE~ERAL.
Melbourne, 18th August, 1884.
South Australia debating resolutions. Premier wires hopes to conclude this
week, and considers adhesion is certain. Can you get Lord Derby to promise annexa·
tion Islanus when the Federal Council constituted.
* "'
>X<
JAMES SERVICE,
Premier.
P. 84/2236.
TELEGHAl\I.
TnE AGENT-GENEHAL TO TilE PnEl\IIER.
London, 20th August, 1884.
Annexation.
All officials ahsent.
Nothing· possible until October.
H. )[ URRA y SMITH,
.\gent-GeJieraJ.
6
P. 84/2361.
THE AGENT-GENERAL TO TilE PREMIER.
2152/84.
Federation and Anne:mtion.
8 Victoria Chambers, 11th July, 1884.
Sm,
Referring to my despatch, No. 2087, of the 4th instant, I have the honour to
acknowledge your further grati(ying message received this morning, announcing the
passage of the Convention Hesolutions through the Tasmnnian Assembly, ns well as
their approval by the Victorian Legislative Council. I have communicated the
intelligence to Lord Derby and also to the Public Press.
The question asked by Mr. Fowler in the House of Commons, on the 7th
instant, and to ~which I alluded in my last despatch, elicited a somewhat fuller answer
than had heen expected from the Under Secretary of State, and whieh was remarked
upon by a portion of the Press as being eminently satisfactory. By the Standard report,
however, which I enclose lJCrewith, you will perceive that, in answer to a further question
hy Sir H. Holland, Mr. At·dtley stated that the new Commissioner would have jurisdiction under the 'Vcsteru Pacific l>rotection Aet-a result wltich would reuder his
proceedings utterly useless for the furtherance of the objeet at which the colonies are
aiming. I accoruingly waited on Sir H. Herbert to point out that the offer of £15,000
per annum ~would not be supposed as in any way binding, until these questions, of the
extent and nature of the jurisdiction to he assured, had heen settled, to which Sir
Robert perfectly agreed. I fiwther took the opportunity of fiwnislting Sir I-I. Holland,
who, as you are perhaps aware, formerly filled the office now held hy Mr. Bramston,
with a hricf statement of our position and requirements, which I trust may be
useful.
I have set down in writing the particulars of our interview with Lord Derby,
corroborated hy the recollection of Sir F. Dillon Bell, as well as my own, but I propose
to delay sending the document forward until next week, in the hope that we may
meanwhile have some answer to communicate from Her J\1ajesty's Government.
I have the honour, to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
TnE HoNoRABLE
RonT. MuRRAY SMITH.
THE PREMIER,
MELBOURNE.
[ENCLOSURE
N 0. 2.]
(" Standard," Stlt July,
AusTRALIA AND
NEw
188~1.)
GUINEA.
Mr. R. N. FowLER nskcJ whether her Majesty's Government had entered into any provisional arrangement with the Australian Colonies with reference either to N cw Guinea or to the islands of the W estcrn
Pacific generally.
Mr. AsrrLEY said the House wonlJ remember that, in ,July last year, the Secretary of State sent a letter
to the Australian Colonies, stating that her Majesty's Government would not Le in a position to consider the
proposal for an extension of the Austmlian territory unless t!JC Colonies combined to bear the burden. A
Convention met at Sydney and adopted certain very clear proposah;, lmt these haLl not yet been ratificJ by
the diticrcnt local Legislatures, and therefore no action could he taken npon them, and they could _not be
considered by her Majesty's Government. That being so, in May this year, Lord Derby wrote n mrcular
despatch to the Austmlian Colonies, of which the following was au cxtmct :-"Her ~Majesty's Govcmment
arc disposed to think that there should be a lliglt Uommissioncr, or at least a Deputy Commissioner, with
large powers of itHlcpcndcnt action, staiionCLl on or near ihc eastern coaots of N cw Guinea, and that he
should be fnrnis!t8ll with a steamship indcpcmlent of her Majesty's Naval Squadron, and with a staff sufficient to enable him to exorcise protection in the name of the Queen over those shores. The cost of this
arrangement cannot Le accurately estimated, as I have prcviomly statcJ, but if one or more Colonies will
secure to her Majesty's Government tho payment of a sum of (say) £15,000 during the year emling 1st
,Tune, 1885, they will be prepared to tako immeJiatc steps for establishing the High Commissioner's jnrisdiction, and will render to the contributing Governments an account of the expenditure incurred." Her
l37l
7
Majesty's Governmeut lmd just receiver! n reply from all the Australi:m ColouieH, iu which they undertook
to contribute the £l.:i,OOO a ye:u--( cheer~ )-antl therefore the GoYermnent would take immediate steps to
appoint a Commissioner or Deputy Cunnni~sioner, aud !luring; the year that would olnpse in the meantime
they would be able to coufcr with the Colonies on the subject.
Sir H. HOLLAND.-Umler what. Act or Acts will this Commissioner have jurisdiction?
lVfr. AsrrLEY.-Uuder the same Acts a:-l the High Conuni::;sioncr of the ·western Pacific.
P. 84/2364.
THE AaEN'I'-GENimAr.. 'I'O TIIE PREMIER.
2103/84
Federation and Anne:.ra#on.
8 Victoria Cham hers, \Vcstl:u.inster, S. \V.,
18th July, 1884.
Sm,
In continuation of my letter, No. 2152, of the 11th instant, on the above subject,
I have now the honour to enclose report of onr interview with Lord Derby on the
2nd instant, whielt, having heen corroborated by Sir 11'. Dillon Bell, may be accepted
as not only substantially, but almost literally, aeeurate. \Ve have heen unable as yet
to extraet any reply fi·om his Lordship, altltoug1t, on inquiry fi·om Sir Rohert Herbert,
I understood that the question had been already brought before the Cabinet. Y esterday I consulted with Sir F. Dillon Bell, aml we determined to make formal application
for an answer as soon as the Franchise question ltas been settled in the House of Lords.
I fear, however, that we should receive very little attention at prescnt1 under the
pressure of domestic mul foreign events. It would appear almost impossible that his
.Lordship should seck to withdraw from tlte answer contained in his despatch of 9th
May, and we arc endeavouring to bring the matter ngain before Parliament, in the
form of a question as to the nature of the protectorate to he furnishml. '\Ve are
urging that, if Her YI~~jesty's protection, spoken of in Lord Derby's despatch above
mentioned, is to be made efficient, it nnu;t be of such a nature as to guard the native
races against the outrages not only of BritiRh hut of J;,oreign subjects, a view whieh we
think should commend itself even to the most determined opponents of annexation.
Should this be conceded, it would involve tlte security of all tlte islands of the W estem
Paeific ngainst foreig·n intervention and occuption.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
'£HE HoNoRAnLE
THE PREMIER,
MELBOURNE.
ltoB'l'. MuRRAY SMITH.
[ENCWSURE TO
MINUTE
P. 84/2364.]
of an Interview, on the 2nd .July, 1884, between the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the
Agents-General for New :Zealawl, New South 'Vales, VictOI'ia,. and Queensland.
P1'cscnt:
Earl of Derby,
Sir Robert Herbert,
Sir Saul Samuel,
Sir F. Dillou Bell,
:Mr. R :Murray Smith,
Mr. W. E. Hemmant..
Sir F. Dillon Bell commence•! the discus:;ion by stating that the Aoents-Geneml hall now been
instructed by the Governments of the Au~tralasian Colm;ics to guarantee the p';;.yment of the contdbution of
£Hi,OOO asked iu Lord Derby's despatch of !)th :May, lmt thnt there appenred some point;; which it was
desirable to submit to Her Majesty's Government for <~onsideration. The Government of New Zealand
being engaged in 11 contested election luvl been unable to join at present in the undertaking given by the
four Continental Colonies of New South 'Vales, Victoria, 8outh Au;;tralia, arHl Queensland.
In the tir,;t place, the Colonies desire to aseertaiu whether the protectorate, promised in the
despatches of 9th :Niny lu~t, and lHh ,J nly, 1883, would only he exercised over New Guinea, or whether it
would be extended oYer othel' . ishruls of the \V estem Pacilic. Lord Derby here interposed with the
observation that Her .Majesty's GoYcrmnent had never undertaken to ns~mne any formal protectorate even
8
9 May, 1884.
1 July,l88S.
over Kew Guinea, npon which we referred to tlto following phrases ft·om the despatches above named, the
correctness of which was corroborated hy Sir Uobert Herhert : ";i. Het· Majesty's Govemment arc disposed to think that there should he a High Commissioner, or
at least a Deputy Commissioner, with large powers of itH.lepen<leHt. :tction, 1-\tationed in or near the eastern
coasts of New Guinea, aml that he should ho furnished with a steam;;hip indepemlent of Her }f~J:jesty'i'
Naval Squ:tdt'Oll, and wit!t a staff snfficient to enable him to exercise protection in the umne of the Queen
over those shore;;."
"7. Her Majesty's Govemmeut. will he willing to take steps for ~trengtheuiug the Naval Force 011
the Anstra!asin.u Station, so as to enable Her ::\Iajesty's ~<hip;; to he more cou>'tantly present than hitherto in
that part of the Pttcifle. A protectorate thus gratlually e~tablishe<l over the t!oa;;t trihes wonld be capable
of meeting the principal refptirements of the case for ~omc time to oome.''
J,onl Derby then remarked that New Guinea, owing to its proximity to the Australasian Coutinent
stood in a somcwl~at differeut r)o:.;ition from allY other of the islands which i'ormed the ~nbieet of diseu~;~ion'
"'
that Prince Bism11rek's tlcclnrntion~ were nmlonht.cdly
very serious, am! that Her Maje>'ty's·' Government. felt,'
in eonseqneuee, the desirahlcnes;< of taking some action now. He nskcd what other islandfl the Colonies
proposed shonl<l he denlt with? "\Ve mentioned the New Britain, New Ireland, Solomon, and t:;anla Cmz
groups. Lor!l Derby comhatml with r;omc vigour the notion that the po;;AesHiou of these islands conh! affect
Australia. "\Vc examined the m:tp, :md the position occupied by each group. "\Ve pointed ont, in answer to
Lord Derby's objecti!ln, the extent of tntde now sprhtging np with those coa~ts, tho danger of their bchw
occupied hy Foreign I>owcrs for convict Kta.tions, and the flitlienltics attending the control of the labon~
traffic, which <lrew its principal Fnpplies from the j.;ronps in qucstiou. Lord Dcrhy said that, so far as the
control of the lahonr tmffie and the prevention of convict estahlishmcntH were concerned, he fully agreed
with the Anstmlnsial! Colonic,:, nnd was di,:posetl to <lo eYer,\'thing in his power to help them. He couhl
uot sharP, liowon:r, their fcm'8 as to the occnpat.ion of the~e i;;laml,: for fll'<linnry pnrpo~es hy other natious,
nor di<l he think we conl<l rea;;mmhly as,crt what amounted to a Monroe doet.riue over the Western Pacific.
"\Vo then diseussetl the n:ttnrc of the protection to be annminecd, nrging o11ce more the radical defects in the
present Pacific I'rotcction Acts and Onlcr8 in Council, which, m; Sir 1<'. D. Bell had previonBly pointed ont,
gave the Lord High Commissioucr the power of pnniohing Briti~h "'nhjeetc; for any wrong they might
commit, but denied t.hem any protection against injuries whid1 they might :-ntfer. Thus we emlenYout·cd to
obtain some <leelamtion from Lor<l Derhy on two point;;:1. The geographical extent of the protectorate to be assume<!.
2. The 11aturo of the jurisdiction to he established.
On the first point, Lord Derhy reteeatc<l eYcn from the position which he has taken iu the
despatch of 9th May. "\Yhile admitting that the case of New Gnhte!~ wm; more mgent than that of the other
islands, he declined to pledge himself to any positive step regal'lling oven New Guinea, withont consulting
the Cabinet; and as to any other islands he held ont no pro~pect to ns that anything would be done towards
securing them from Foreign ocenpation. "\Ve pointed out that the recent declarations of Prince Bismarck
evidently pointed to the Pneific, and we asked whether Lord Derby did not think it probable that, if Her
1.1ajest.y proclaimed a protectorate over New Guinea, the German Govemment would follow np that
proclamation by annexing the Solomon Islamls, where they already had trading and missionary ports ?
Lord Derby said be thought it very likely they would. "\Ve snggeste<l that they might possibly also
establbh a convict st.ation there, bnt Lor<l Derby said, as to tlmt, he wn>~ quite wit.h us, and any such movement ought to he resisted. We then a~ke<l whether Her :Majesty's Government would not at any mtc
endeavom· to come to some nmlerstamling with the Powers on two points, namely, the control of the labour
traffic, aml the prevention of any further convict establishment in the Pad fie. To this Lord Derby gave a
ready assent, hut, so far as we could gather, was disposed to e~tahli;;h a cont.J•ol over the labour traffic, not by
obtaining from the other Governments an assent to extending the High Commissioner's anthority over theit•
suhjectF<, hut hy the erection of some kind of mixc<l trilmnal.
We then said it shonhl he clearly undorstood that this would not satisfy the AnF<tralasian Colonim;.
vVlmt they desired was t.Iw cxtcn;;ion of British authority under some form of protectorate over New Guinea
and the islands of the "\Vestern Pacific which would pre~>crve them from heing appropriated by Foreign
Powen;, antl secure them cveutmdly for Australasia. Lord Dcrhy sai<l that, in t.hat case, what we wanted
was the whole Ronlh Paeific; and he objected that we had no right to dictate to other nations that they
should not form settlements there, adding that grave responsibilities awl complications would follow from
such a com'He as that proposed. lie did not, however, explain tons what these rcsponRihiliticR atul complications might be. 1t was :-;trougly urged by ns that, while the Colonies pnt forward no :Wionroe doctrine
to extend over the Pacific, and could not object to the right of appropriation being claimed hy other Powers
over nuoccHpie<l groups of islnn<ls, they were <lesirous of seeming these hdands from ~nch appro1wiation
while there was yet time to do HO. We deprecated the repetition in any other i,.;lands, if undcrstaudings
snch as had been ma<lc hetweeu Fnmce awl Englnnd 'in the case of the New Hehri<les, as being likely to
produce Jrinch more trouhlesm11e complications than coHid arioe fl'Om the course we adYocate<l. vVe pointed
ont that in any fntnre orraugemcnt;; of any kind relating to the Pacific the Colonic;.; ought to be previously
consnlte(l; a<lding, that if they h:ul been f'O cowmlted in the case of the Now IIehridcs, they wonhlnot have
assented to the Convention now in existence. "\Ve then went on to refer to the emm of Angm l'cqucua, as
showing tlmt what Prinee Bismarck ha<l required in that ease really was an undertaking with Her Maje;;ty's
Government, :m<l that if Her Majesty's Govemment had assnmod the protectorate over Angm l'eqncna, and
conseqncnt.ly had given the protection of Euglaml to the German missionaries and traders there, the Chancellor would probably have been ~atisfied. In like manner, as regarded the Pacific Islands, where Germans
were HOW ~ctt!cd, the Anstrnlasian Colonies were ready to defray the eoRt, and accept the responsibilities of
such a protectorate aH woul<l ~come the ol1jects of Pl'iuce Bismarck.
Lord Dcrhy, however, refused to commit himself to any positive flcclaration on eithe1· of the points
with regar<l to which we atil{etl a decision, aml his view appeared tons to be that. a simple strengthening of
the High Commissioner's jutisdietion in New G niuca would answer all requirements. \Ve thus parted from
his Lonlsl1ip with an impression that it was !louhrfnl whether even the promises contained in the despatch
of !lth ::\>Iay wonltlnot be interpreted in a scnHe Yery different fl'om that in which they were mulerstood by
the Colonies when they agreed to make ihe contribution of £15,000.
1_373
9
No. 84/2405.
THE PREMIER TO THI~ AGENT-GENERAL.
Confidential.
Premier's Office,
Melbourne, 26th August, 1884.
SIR,
I have h0fore me your letters mentioned in the margin, on the subject of No. Date.
Fedemtion and the Islands. The former suhject I have treated separately.
2019 .. 2/t~~~~ne.
•
•
2087 . .4th July.
2. My letter of the 28th of ,July, winch has crossed the letters JUSt alluded to, ~igLm~,
anticipates the di:-;cussion contained in them, a:-; to the intention of the Imperial
"
Government in proposing the Colonial subsidy of £15,000. I now confirm that letter,
and would add that I can hardly conceive that Iler Majesty's Ministers will, after
deliberation, think of receding from terms so llefinite and specific as those in the
despatches of 9th of May, 1884, and 11th of July, 1883.
3. I enclose for your informa.tion some* conespondenee which has heeu printed
for Parliament, on the subject of New Guinea and the subsidy which we are asked to
contribute. I also cncloRe a copy of a minute by the Hon. Mr. Stuart, on the same
subject.
I feel that no opportunity
4.
should be lost of urgently representing to Her Majesty's Imperial Govemment,
what an irreparable loss it will he to Australasia if any of the islands of Australasia
are allowed, through supineness or neglect, to pass into the hauds of another Power ;
and I cannot conceal from myRelf that (though I trust New Guinea may he deemed
secure) the position of the other islands is critical in the extreme ; and, f11rther,
the policy of temporizing only makes the difficulties that have to he grappled with
zreater to-morrow than thev are to-dav.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
'-'
.;
,!
J A:M:ES
SERVICE,
Premier.
No. 84/2405.]
[ENCLOSURE TO
Minute by Colonial Secretary.
Snhject : Secretary of State for the Colonies' Despatch dated 9th May, 1884, No. 27.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney, 23 July, 1884.
'l'he passnge through Pnrlinment of one of the most important and difficult questions of Coloniallegi~­
lntion, namely, the readjustment. of the land laws of the Colony, having absorbed uearly the whole time
since the Intereolonial Convention conchuleJ its sitting, has preventetl the resolutions of thnt body from
being considereJ, hut it is the intention of the Government to submit them during the present session.
I have uo hesitntion in saying that, whatever may be the conclusion arrived at with regard to the
Federal Council Bill, I mn confident there will be an almost unanimous agreement with regard to the
willingness of this Colony contributing its share of the .£15,000 estimatml by Lonl Derby as the annual
expem;e of maintaining !t High Commissioner, to he stationed in New Guinea, and fnrui:-;hed with a suitable steamship for the purpose of exercising some protectorate power over that and adjacent islands; bnt at
the same time I would ttlke this opportunity of pointing out that, while this colony has always been desirons
that the labour tmde in the South Sea Islands should be governed hy wi~e regulations, the oiJjcct of having
a High Commissioner stationed at N cw Guinea is not solely for the purpose of a better allministration of
such regulations, lmt for that which is deemed by the Australian Colonies generally of even greater
importance, viz., the carrying ont of such protectorate over New Guinea as will seem·e the Colonies from
the great disadvantage and danger which it woultl be to those Colonies if the southern shores of that island
were to fall nnder the acquisition m· dominion of any Foreign Power.
ALEX.
* Pa,rliamcntary Paper No. GO, 1884.
No. 97.
B
STlTART.
10
P. 84/2480.
THE AGENT-GENERAL TO THE PREMIER.
8'1/2282.
8 Victoria Clmmhers, 'Vestminster, S. ,V.,
25th July, 1884.
Sm,
I have endeavoured to obtain for your information complete reports of the
recent speeehes of Prim~e Bismarck on the Colonial policy of the German Empire, hut
with only partial success. In fact, the speech of the Prince which created the greatest
sensation-that delivered on the 23rd of ,June, awl to which I referred in my telegraphic
despatch of the 25th-is not to be found in the official reports of the debates of the
Heichstag, as it was delivered hefore the Budget Committee, whose proceedings arc
supposed to he private. The Times correspondent at Berlin, writing on the 24th of
.June, gives, however, what is believed to he a very careful summary of its argument,
which, as it hns since passed uncontradicted, and been much commented upon, may be
regarded as fairly correct. Although the letter of the correspondent has no uouht
already attracted your attention, I subjoin a copy of it for convenience of reference. I
also enelose a literal translation of the further speech delivered lly the Prince in the
meeting of the Ueiehstag of the
Thongh the Bill for the subsidizing of the liue of steamers to Asia and Austmlasia contemplated hy the Prince
have failed to pass the German Parliament, I have little doubt that his deelarations on
the subject of German Colonial policy, of which it was the occasion, will not fail to
stimulate German enterprise, and to bring support to such associations as that referred
to in Consul-General Oppenheimer'H despatch, of which I forward a copy in my letter
of this dny's date (No. 2256). I add to the report of Prince Bismarck·s speech a
translation of some observations made by other speakers at a Inter stage of the debate,
which are of particular interest, as evidence of the views of the German Government and
Parliament in reference to the proposal for the acquisition of Samoa.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most ohedient servant,
HonT. MunRAY SMITH.
THE HoNORABLE
THE PRKI'rHER,
MELBOURNE.
P.S.-The Berlin correspondent of the Times, telegraphing on yesterday, says,
under the heading "Germnn Colonial Policy" :"It may be mentioned that the Chancellor continues to receive ft·om all parts
of Germany numerous expressions of encouragement in connexion with his Colonial
policy and his Trans-oceanic Line of Steamers Bill, and it is fairly certain that the
measure will next session be approved hy the new Imperial Parliament, for which the
general elections will in all probability be held in October."
[ENCLOSURE
No. 1. J
(" 'l'imes," 2;)tlt June, I KS-1-.)
(By Telegrnpb.)
GERMAN COLONIAL POLICY.
Berlin, June 24.
The main topie of interest here to-day is naturally the E'peech delivered yesterday evening by Prince
Bismarck in the private sitting of the Budget Committee, to which had been referred the Bill for subsidizing a double line of steamers to Australia aml the East. Some idea of the importance aUached to the
subject by the Chancellor himself may be formed from the fact that it is thirteen years since he deemed it
necessary to attend the ~ittiug of any Committee whatever, the last oecasion on which he ditl so having
been in 1871, wlwu the mmexation of Alsace-IJotTnine was under consideration. Yesterday again, to a
certain extent, strm1ge to say, it was a question of what may almost he called territorial aggmmlizement
for the Empire which induced him to do such an exceptional thing as to attend a Committee meeting and
stay there till well on to 11 o'clock at night.
1_375
11
But the incident is fnrthcr rcnutrkahlc for the fact that this is the first time for several vears that
the Chancellor has delivcretl himself on any point of foreign policy. tiecrccy and reticence ar~ the principle;; of his action as Foreign lVIinister, as they have also, in a great measure, been the secrets of his sneee~s.
He abhors Blue-books, which form no part of the regular machinery of GoYernment in Germany, and it
is long since any deputy ventured to interpellate him on t.he snqject of the Empire's international relations,
with the slightest hope of getting the desired answer. It is therefore all the more remarkable that he shoul<l
have condescended ye;;terday to speak so frankly on the subjeet of' his Colonial policy, which has lately
been the cause of so much conjecture and controversy in the German Press. A htrge portion of the Pre!'s
of the young Empire has for some time hack Lcen crying out for a colony of some kind, as a child weeps
for want of lt toy; and now that a toy colony has been given it, in the shape of Angra Peqncna, we may
expect to have fewer manifestations here of ill-humour towards England, who was supposed to look with :t
jealous eye on the gratiflcntion of the young Empire's ambition.
The Bill fur sub:~hlizing (by an anmntl grant of fom· millions of marks) a don Lie line of steam en: to
the East had been received with decided coldncs;-; in the ReichRtag itself, ami referred for further consideration to the Budget Committee, whicl1 it. was coutidently cxpcctc<l would acquit itself of its duty by ;;hcl ving
the measure. For these Committees arc composed of rcprcscntalivc memher;,; of the various fractious, and,
as a general rule, their decision is espoused by their parthmns in the full House. Knowing, therefore, tlmt
the Opposition element rather preponderated in 1.lw Committee sitting on his Steamers Subsidy Bill, Prince
Bismarck would seem to have resolved to make another strong personnl effort on its lJChaU.
The r:;itting was private, :md various report,; of the Chancellor';; ,;pccch have oozed ont through
those who heard it; out its general ;;ensc SCClllS to have been US foJlows:'fhc Colonial question was intimately related with the Suhsicly Bill, and the futc of the measure
would certainly influence the attitude of the Government in the former rc:spcct; but all he wanted was a
definite vote of the Reiehstag on the subject, and then he wouhl know where he stootl. The forwarding of
letters, &c,, by the propose() lines (>f steamers wa,; unt the only end he had in view. lie lwd other irons in
the fire, and lie did not wislt to let them grow cool.
In the matter of Colonial policy, he had proviou,;ly felt the pnbe of the nation with the Samoa
Sub,;idy Bill, but that lm(l been rejected, and, unfortunately, all ,;ueh questions were regarded exclusively
from the party and uot the national point of view. The Packet Steamers Bill wa;; a new feeler i11 the
same direction, and its treatment hy the Rcischstag would he deci~ivc for him. A Colonial policy wa~ only
possible when they were all united. The Bill certainly implic•.l a vote of eoufideuec in him, but it Jid uo
more than the Ht. (iotlmnl sub~idy, which was cheerfully gmutcd in 1870.
As for the Colonial tfnestiou it:-:cll', he dhluot desire to proceed on the Engli;;h or French motlcl, an<l
~ay, "Here will I found a colony, nn•l leave the J'est to bnrcaucmt,;."
The comparatively in;;ignilicant
naval power of the Empire detcrre.I him from pnrsning such a "Y;;tem. Hut it was otherwise with such
Germans as had found thci1· dot he;; at home too small for them, and who, moved by their own free will nml
indcpendmwe, had settled abroad. To tlwsc the prot.ection of the Empire muKt be extended, if they were
>mfficicntly IH'otcetcd h,v other Power:-:, or not at. all. And, in thi:-: eonnexion, he was ~l:vl to say that he
lmd, OH Sunday, received a telegmm from the English Govennueut, a:<st:Hting tn the plaein~ of 1-Ierr
I~iidcritz ami his possos;;iou,; at Angm Pcqncmt unum· t,he m,qis of i he Empire, mul wishing him joy of the
enterprise. It wa:'l ;;omewhat :mrprising, howeve•·, that he lmd !1wl to wait s:nee Deeo1nbcr for an answer
from the English Govemmcnt to hi1l inquiry as to ils Yiews 011 the subjeot of A11gTa Peqncna. But
En)!;land evidently att:whcd a high value to the friclHbhip of Germany. The power of tlw German
~Empire was not to be nmlerrated ; ami could he put I(:H'th, moreover, without its po>~t>cssing a formidable
fleet, Franco, for example, !llood hcl'orc the gates of :VIetz, ami if any ;,;ubjccts of the Empire were to
suffer at hor lum(ls, in dh;tnut land.~, a rcactiou wonld not fail tu take eflbet in the region of :\.Ietz. In this
way the Empire would alwayo; he able to give protection to any colouistt> that it rnight eomc to possess;
and GernHlllH thronp;lwut the w<Jrld must bCJ t;LUght to take pri(lc in tue Civls Romanus sum feeling.
As for the Cougo question, thnt wa;,; a very complieatetl matter, sinec he eould not well recognise
the Auglo-Portngucsc Treaty. But the Government wa» prepared to support Belgian enterprise, which
aimed at the erection of n free State on the Congo, that wonld take nccount of Germany\; connncrcial
interest~ ; and neg-otiations on thi~ head were pentling.
The Etupire dcmaude(l to be trcafc(l there on the
same footing aK other uaiions.
The Chancellor tli,;elaimc(l any intention of making a dcmon~tmtion against England l>y the tlehatc;
niHl all he wanted wa,; t~ Parlimuentary divi8iou on the Snhsidy Bill, in order to see who wonld really lmYe
the courage to vote agnim;t it. tihonltl it he rejected, he wo11ld e<Jltainly feel diKeoumgcd in the matter of
that Colonial policy, of the mo<lerate nntl non-advcntmou,: kind, that he had referred to, which !nul hcen
advocate(!, with sueh apparent cnthuHia:;m, 1Jy the nation at large.
The Chancellor'~ argmneuts were wannly oppo~od hy Hcrren Hidwrt, Bmnherger, allll Richte1·, who
coutendctl that there wa;; no neee~,;a.r.'' eonuexion between dw Snb~idy l~ill and the que:;tion of eolouization,
ami argued that the former mnst be con;;hlercd ft·om the purely fiuaneial point of view. But with an
Imperial deficit of 22 millions, it woulrl Le a wanton waste of mouov to lav out an ammal sum of fou1·
millions fot· imaginary benefit~. On the motion of Dr. Wintlthorst, the" dcLat~ was adjonmctl till .Friday;
hut it is expected that Parliament will rise on or about that day, and in any <:at~o thoro is not very much
hope for the measure.
[ENCLoSURE
No. 2. J
GERl\:fAX COLONIAL POLICY.
Speech of t!te Chancellor of the Empire in the Reiclistag, on tlte 8fJth qf Jnne, 1884.
Prince Bismarck, in reply to Mr. Hciehcrt, said- Mr. Hcichort has complained 1hat I lmvc not explained
at an earlier date that. eonnexion which I hold to cxiot. between the proposal for rt line of steamer~ and
Colonial enterprise in
connexiou as cloHc as tlmt of the question of the Coroa with a commercial
12
treaty with tbe States of Easte1'n Asia. In addition to my labours in the Reiehstag, other affairs of no less
importance in the present state of Europe require my attention.
I cannot, therefore, acknowledge that it was my duty earlier to ox:pro,;s my views on this subject.
:Moreover, I recently remarked, in the presence of Mr. Reiehcrt in Committee, that I should not have been
justified in speaking on these Colonial projects until the difficulty, in which we should have placed omselves
by this fait (tccompli-namcly, that of being in opposition to friendly l'owcrs such as England-bad hceu
overcome. From motives of prudence, I therefore refrained from uttering a wonl on this suhjeet until I
was quite certain that the British Government was convinced that German interests were in no way opposed
to those of England or her colony nt t.ho Cape, and that therefore she would have no object to serve by
hinuoring our enterprises. From that time, not 24 hours, I believe, after I had received the telegraphic
cormnnuication on this subject, I kept silence no longer.
~Inch has been written in nll our uewspa11ers during the last few months, more than I like about
foreign policy and Colonial enterpril'lc. It is most uifficult to maintain secrecy a~ to our plans, and I am
convinced that Messrs. Reichert and Bamherger already knew, through their acnte perception of the tone of
the Press, what was the question before us, and what the connoxiou between a Colonial policy and the
subsidizing of stoarnors.
On the question of Colonies, I repeu,t what I have said before respecting their origin. \Ve were first
connected with the purchase of territory through the euterpriso of some Hanscatic merclututs. Appeals for
Government protection then gave rise to the inquiry whether we could grant that protection to the extent thnt
might be required of us. I repeat that I lmTe not yet overcome my dislike to eoloniz:ation; and by this I moan
the system lly which most of tho;,;o colonies formed iu the last century were made, and which may now Le
called the French system. A territory of land is procured as a settlement; efforts arc made to induce
emigrants to estahlish tbomsclvos there; of!icers arc nppointed, mHl garrisons placed. This system oJ'
colouization may be meful to other countries, hut it is not practicable for us. vVhether it is desirable,
and whether it is the duty of the Gernmn GoTernment to grant the protection which they seek to such
German subject;; as engage in these enterprises trusting to the t5U}lport of the State, and also to afford them
certain help in their Colonial undertakings, in order that those Colonies, which naturally grow out of the
surplus population !Jy the German Empire, may thrive with care and protection, i~ quite a separate question.
This I affirm to he the case-with little certainty as roganls what is desira!Jlc I cannot foresee what may
arise out of it, hut with aln;olute ccrtninty m; regard~ the duty of the St~tto.
I entered 11pon the matter with some hositatiou, asking myself how I could ju;,;tify my saying to
those persons who have engaged in this Asiatic enterprise to whom I ha\"O spoken, and whose courage and
enthusiasm I greatly admire, asking myself~ I repeat, how could I justify my speaking to them thus-" This
is all very well, but the German Empire i:; not strong euough; it would draw upon itself the ill-will of other
States; it would come into unpleasant contact with others; our fleet is not strong CJJOugh for this," moaning
all that Dr. Bamberger brought hcfore us in Committee. But I must own that I, as the first Chancellor of
the new Empire, felt a certain timidity and disinclination to exprc~s myself thn::;. Even if I had !Jelioved
in our weakness and inc:tpacity, I should not have vontnred tu say openly to tho;;e socking help-" vV c
are too poor, we arc too weak, we are too timid to gmnt you a;;sistance from the State, because you annex
foreign territory." I oonld not venture, as Chancellor of the Empire, to make r~ declaration of bankruptcy
on the part of the German nation to those who umlertakc enterprises lJeyowl the seas; !Jut l have very
carefully cndeavourell to ascertain whether we were not infringing in an unjustifiable manner upon the wellearned rights of other nations, ami my c.ITorts to obtain certainty on thi;; point have required more than six
months. You will permit me to detail those efforts, because they will not pass uneriiiciscd.
I resolved then to proJJOund to the English Governmout the question whether England had nny
claims to Angra I'oquena, and, if such were the case, on what she believed them to be based. \Vith
regard to other territories where German merchantH al:-:o intend to settle, I could prove, without any
further question on the subject, that hitherto the nborigines alone had exercised ;;overcignty, and therefore
no doubts would arise in that matter.
There will soon be an opportunity of mnking statements on the subject, even if you are no longer
assembled at the time; at any rate, the opportunity will occur next ses~ion, aml the newspapers will
announce the facts beforehand. But with regard to Angrn Pequena there was some difficult.y.
Certain English subjects were conducting mining enterprises in this place, and they had proenrcd
concessions from the tribes. There were ulso English lllerchauts settled there, anrl closo by there is an
island of the same name, which had undoubtedly been taken l)OSscssion of by the English at some former
period.
In short, thoro wore so manv diHieultios in eonncxion with that settlement tlwt I would on no
account deal lightly with a nmion <{nd Government in such close alliance with us ns the English, and in
such a way as to give rise to :1 conflict, from which wc should either have to retire acknowledging our
error, or to fight it out at the cost of a highly valued friendship.
The inquiry has boon in some measure complicated by the fact that the English Government believed
they could not take any stops in the matter without an understanding with the Government at the Cape,
and eommunieaiion with that colony is not so speedy as between Berlin and London. There has been
delay, but the transaction;; of the last few weeks have shown me that a fnvorahlo result may be expected;
in fact, such a result was brought about in the course of last week by a communication from the English
Government.
This wa;.; to the effect that the Eugli;;h Government's sole object was to place, by means of a
note of exchange, the right;,; of those who have made eoucossions, and of their subject,; who already live in
those districts, on a secure footing; in short, to demand from us rctlpect for their well-earned rights, a
demand which is perfectly intelligible, and to which we shall agree in replyiug to the English note.
It has always been our aim to enter upon no exclusive Colonial policy, as, unfortunately, other States
loss powerful than England do, and thereby hinder the welfare and commerce of their Colonies.
Such is not our intention; but we believe that whatever Colonial policy we may carry out will meet
with the approval of all parties in our country. :Meanwhile, this belongs to the future, and to time we
leave it.
It was pointed ont by Mr. Rickert that our Colonial enterprises would involve immense expenditure,
and would bring our Treasury into a worse state than it is in at the present momout.
1377
13
That might be the case if we were to begin, as we have done with former undertakings, by sending
out a number of officiab and subordinates, hy placing garrisons, and by erecting forts and barracks.
But Rnch is not our intention-at least it i:; not mine. My purpose, which is approved by His
Majesty the Emperor, is to leave the responsibility of the development of the colony, as well as its establishment, to the activity and enterprise of our maritime and commercial fellow citizem, aml to proceed not so
much by annexing provinces beyond the Heas, as by making free grants, after the manner of Englbh Royal
Charters-treading in the footsteps of the famous English merchants who founded the East India
Company.
We shall leave to those fellow citizens the interests awl the good of the colony, only granting them
the possibility of European jurisdiction for Europeans, promising them such protection as we can give them
without placing a permanent garrison. I think that complaint!l would have to be made to either a representative of the Empire there, or a eonsul, and that one of our maritime al!ll commercial courts at Bremeu,
Hamburg, or elsewhere might dceitlo cases arising out of commercial undertakings.
Our aim is, not to found provinces, but to fnrthe1· commercial enterprise, and to protect those who
acqnirc sovereignty and still remain attached to German interests against attacks resulting from unavoidable
proximity, and against oppression and injury from other European Power8. In short, we hope that the
tree will flourish through the diligence of the gardeners who planted it. If it does not, the plant is a failure,
bnt the Government is not so much affected by the loss as those who have undertaken the enterprise. The
difference is this : in the system whieh I called the French, the Government would luwo to decide on each
several occasion whether the undertaking were goo(l mullikely to be successful; whereas, under the system
which I advoente, we leave the ehoico to the merchants-to the persons who undertake private enterprises;
and when wc ilcC that the tree has struck root, grows, spreads, and ealls for protection, we strengthen it,
and I cannot see how we eau possibly refuse to do so.
HEMAHKS Ol!' OTHER SPEAKERS.
Dr. Bambergcr said he was more than ever sceptical with regard to the system of Colonial policy
just indicated by the Imperial Chancellor, and wns of opinion that it was wanting in that earnestness and
thoroughness with which the subject should he treated. The Chancellor had said thnt he would not construct a hnrhonr or a fort, that he would not maintain a garrison anywhere; this could ouly mean that he
wanted no Colonies and no Colonial policy. The Chancellor did not desire n Colonial policy of the old
kind, he did not care for the pos;;ession of lands lJeyond the seas, but only wished to stretch tJ10 protecting
hand of the Empire over German settlements. But as, in the case every German who thought fit might
become possessed of territory, the State must then step in, and that obligation would lead to Colonial
policy.
VVith reganl to Samoa, he was firmly convinced that the reports made hy tl1e allents in the South
Seas to the Imperial Chancellor must have opened his eyes, even if he would not all m it the fact.
The Counsellor of Legation, V on Knsserow, sail! he must decline t,o comment upon the remarks of
the Imperial Chancellor on the snLjcet of a Colonial policy. He would, however, observe that the reports
from the spot., and the verbal communications of the German Conml in Sydney, agreed in stating that the
refusal of Samoa had not only been a mistake, but had inflicted considerable damage upon German interests
in Australia .
.Mr. Mcicr (Bremou) stated that in the case of S,a.moa the question had not been one of Colonial
policy, hut of affonliug protection to a commercial establishment. He was still of opinion that the Imperhtl
Government had acted wis<'ly in declining Samon. The Imperial Chancellor had said he would protect
Germans, but not that any German might settle anywhere, and then bring Germany into dillienlties.
:.\-Ir. Richtet· (Hagen) was very grateful to the Imperial Chaneellor for having so expressly and openly
stated tlwt he would have nothing whatever to do with a Colonial policy which would lead to the acquisition of territory, to the formation of settlements, to the maintenance of permanent garrisons, and to the
appointment of official~. From all that had previouBly appeared in the Liberal Press on Colonial policy a
contrary impression hnd been produced. The policy of the Imperial Chancellor might he supported within
certain limits. lie quite agreed wiLh him on the subject of cousalates and maritime relations, nor did he
object to the Chancellor's nnwillingne:;s to give any definite explanntion at pt·esent with respect to Angra
I)cquena; he would be eontent. to wait until the Imperial Chancellor should by the nmtter before the House.
Augra Peqncua i;; nothing more than a sandy coa;;t, without water and without trees, a piece of territory
of no value. It would he n,1 error to enter npon any Colonial policy whatever with regard to that plnce.
He only wished to say that his party desired to avoid, if possible, sueh costly relations as those which subsist
between England ami her Colonies in Asia and Africa.
(Reiehstag, 26th June, 1884.)
P. 84/2482.
TnE AGENT-GENEHAL To THE PREMIER.
84/2256.
8 Victoria Chambers, ·Westminster, S.W.,
25th July, 1884.
Sm,
I have the honour to forward for your infornation a copy of Part III. of this
year's series of Reports from Her Majesty's Diplomatic and Consular Officers abroad
on subjects of commercial and general interest. At page 17 there is a report by
Consul-General Oppenheimer, of Frankfort-on-M:aine, on the German Colonial Association, founded in 1882, under the presidency of Prince Hohenlohe Langenburg, to foster
14
German projects of colonization. You will observe, at page 20,* the reference to the
establishment of certain tradiug ports, whose position is for the present kept secret,
and also the statement as to the disappointment caused in the ranks of the association
by the belief that England was about to incorporate New Guinea. For obvious
reasons the operations of the association deserve to he carefullv
.., watched .
I have the honour to he,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
THE HoNORABLE
RonT. MunnAY
SMITH.
THE PREMIER,
MELBOURNE.
E.rtJ'act ftom Reports, q.c., 1·e[erred to in p1·eceding Lette1·.
No. 4.
Consul-General Oppenheimer to Earl Granville.-(Received lffarclt 20.)
lh LoRD,
:Frankfort-on-1\:faine, )larch 18, 1884.
I have the honour to enclose a Report on the German Colonial Association and itt~ operations during
1883, tbe first year ofits e;da.tcuce1 and h~>ve, &c.
(Signed)
CHARLES 0PPENHEDIER.
[ENcLosum: IN No. 4.]
Report.
The ~reat importance of the colonial question, elosely bound up with the increase in the export
trade, led in 1882 to the foundation in Fmnkfort of a G01·mau Colonial Association, under the presidency of
Prince Hohenlohe Lun?(enbnrg, Bur1!:omaster Dr. :Miq11el, ami Dr. Briining. The programme is contained
in the Statutes of the German Colonial Association, which were accepted on the 6th Decembm·, 1882, by a
duly constituted meeting.
They arc as follows:
Domicile of the Association.
The domicile of the German Colonial As,;oeiation is !Jrovi~ionully at .Frunkfort-ou-::\Iain.
Aim of the A~sociation.
The Association have proposed to themselves the ta,.;k of making known in ever-increasing circles
the necessity of directing the national labour into tbe domain of colonization, of forming a central rallying
point for tbo endeavours directed to that pnrpo,;e, which have hitherto been made in a haphazard manner,
and of seeking a pmctical solution of the important colonial question.
The Association will first of all further the establishment of tradi11g stationti as l:!tnrting points for
hn·ger uwlertakings.
~llembe1•sldp and Yearly Snbscriptiou.
1. The As,;ociatiou consist~ of active, corrcspomling, ami honorary mcmbcn;.
2. Entry into the A;;sociation follows npon introduction to the committee.
B. Every nctive member hns to pay a yenrly snb~eription of at least six marks.
4. The members have the right of tuJdug part in all meeting::! of the Associtttion, and of receiving
reports of them without any further payment.
5. The memllers are admitted as sueh on showing their <•ani of membership.
G. The withtlrnwal of a member (acth·e) can only take place until the 1st October of each year,
consequently three months before the coucln,;ion of a ~mhscriptiou year, :m<I through a written notice to the
committee.
7. The sub,;eription year coiucidc,; with the ordinary year.
8. Corre~polllling and honorary member,; are W1meti hy the committee. Only such pcrso!IH are to he
appointed honorary member,; who have remleretl p:wtienlar Hervice~> to the Association or their nims.
Committee of tlw Assoc·iation.
l. The organization arHl mmmgcmeut of the As:,:oeiation, as well as it:; reprc,;cntatiou ahroad, is
couferre<lupon a committee of at lca,;t 25 members.
:!. The get!Pml mc<'tiug chooses, C\·ery three year,;, the president aud 21 members of the committee,
wbich haYc the right of in!'rensing the uumbcr of their member,; for each year uutil the next general
mcctilll! till the 10tal rcachc;; 3ii.
*
Sec "Report on the First Ge11eral Jleeting,'' pago 16 of this paper.
1379
15
?,, The committee assign to themseh·es the bn~iness to be done, ami are likewise authorizetl to
appoint the necessary officialH, clerks, &c., in the office.
4. To renJer a resolution of the committee binding, the presence and vote of at least five members
is ncccs>~ary. The resolntions are carried by nu~jority of votes, awl the east.iug-vote to belong to the
chairman in ease of the votes beiug equally di vitletl.
5. The committee appoint t.ime ami place for the general meeting, whose deliberations are to take
place umler their management.
6. Minutes are to he drawn up of the sittings of the committee, and at. the conclnsion of each
sitting, or at the beginning of the next, are to be reatl out anJ signed by the secretary after adoption.
7. The minutes, notices, motions, resolutions, &c., arc preserved by the committee in the archives of
the Association.
8. The committee have every year to draw np a report of receipts and expenses, and lay it before the
general meeting for adoption. They ha\·c likewise to prepa1·e and present to the general meeting the
resolutions to be adopted.
9. The committee can undertake engagements extending beyond the current year only wi1h the
consent of the general meeting. A similar authorization is necessary in order to tlispose of the invested
capital of the Association.
10. The committee have, besides an account of receipts and expenses, to lay a balance-sheet for the
past year before the general meeting, and arc, upon the presentation of a report by the auditors named by
the latter, freeJ from all responsibility.
General ftfeetings.
I. The whole number of rnember11 form the genom! meeting, which tliscns;;;es ami resolves upon the
business of the As,;ociat.ion hy a majority of the votes of the members present. In case of equal division of
votes the chnirman to have the casting vote.
2. A general meeting of the members i:; to he arranged for in that town of Germany, and at the time
appointed for that pmposc at. the prceeding geneml meetiug.
3. The summons to the general meeting takeH place by advertisement in at least three German
newspaper:<, chosen by the committee not later than 11 <late four weeks before the genernl meeting.
4. Coneeming objects whieh are not upon the order of the t!ay, a decision is only to he arrivetl at in
the s11me general meeting, if upon motion of the eommit.tee the maUers tleelaretl urgent. hy a m11jority of twothinls of the members. .MmnherK who may wish to plaee motions on the list of resolutions to be presented
nt t.he general meeting mu;;t, give notice of them to the eomrnittee at least fourteen days before the meeting
is COIH'Cne<l.
li. The general meeting ehoo;.;cR for the ennent year three anditorR of the aeeonnts.
6. The election of members of the committee nml of the auditor" takes place through n, majorit.y of
votes taken by ha !lot. J n ease of equality in the nmnbers of Yotes the election to he decitletl by lot..
7. The resolutions ani vet! at by the genemlmecting to he himlin~ on allmemher>~ of the Association.
8. Rcp1·esentation of members at the general meeting hy proxy is inadmisl:'able.
9. The discussion;; of the general meeting, as well as the elections ami resolutions arrived at by the
same, are to he entered in t.he minutes. The latter to be signed by the ~ecrctary, chairman, and three
members of the Association.
10. The committee summon extrnonlinnry general meetings, and are hound to tlo so upon a requisition signed hy at least one-third of the active members being presented to them.
Alterations in the Statutes.
Alterations in the Articles of Association can only be considered binding when carried by a m11jority
v.f two-thirds of the ant.horizetl votes present at the general meeting.
Dissolution of the Association.
A resolution for Jissolving the Association can only be carried at an extraordinary general meeting,
especially con voketl for that 1mrpose, by a majority of two-thirds of the members preRent. The presence
of at. lenst oue-fourth of the active members is necessary to rende1· the resolution valid. If the necessary
one-fourth be not present, a second general meeting may be summoned with the same object in view. at
which then a maj01·ity of two-thinls of the members pre;;;ent may finally Jceide upon 11 valid dissolution.
At the dissolution of the Association the general meeting rletermines upon the application of the invested
capitaL
The ('ommittee, who have already instnllc(I the 11crrnnnent bnrc:tn an<l appointed the managers,
issneJ the following appeal : Issue of Appeal.
"The question of German colonization becomes every day more pre;;;;<ing.
"The necessity for the extension of the nnmbe1· of onr markets, the inercnsing importnnce of the
over-sea trade, the intense effeet. of emigration on onr social and. home life, the nntional interest in the preservation of a strong and lastiug tie between our ~uperflnons sources of energy and the Fatlwrland, have
Jireetc•l universal attention to this question in continually-increasing proportions.
"Through the nntiring zenl of other nations, and the advaneing development. of the extent of their
power, it yearly, nay even Ja.ily, becomes more difficult to find the soil suitable for German colonization.
" Influenced by these eonsiderations, the German Colonial Association was ealled into being on the
Gth December, 1882, with domicile at Frankfort-on-1\:lain. 1\>fen of !Lll parties and conditions ha1·e united
for the solution of a national problem which stands forth among the \!nestions of the llay and hour.
" From all parts of the Fath01·land ami from the Germans abroad a hearty assent has been given to
the aims of the Association, and numerous promises of adhesion have already been received.
''In the German p;·ess our endeavours meet from day to day with C\'er-inercn.sing countenance and
protection.
"The immediate question at present for the progt·essive development. of the Association is adhesion
to its aims, and to make snrc of the necessary means to ennhle it to enter on ami proeeet1 with its sphere of
16
activity with the utmost authority, at the same time to afford an effective rallying point for the energie,.;
which have hitherto workell in a dis-united manner.
"Besides the establishment of trading stations as startiug points for more important undertakings, as
well as of working colonies of another kind beyond sea, the Association has principally in view the question
of enlightening public opinion, in onler that the nation may be ready, to a large extent, for the day when
the favourable n:1tnre of circumstances permits a solution of the question.
"\Ve call upon all friends of our country for their co-operation in this work, which may perhaps
produce only slowly and gradually any perceptible result.
"EHpeeially ought tho;:;e who are in ngreemcnt with us upon the principal qne~tions not to stnml
aloof indifferently, but rather hy their entry into the Association antl an active participation in its aims,
each according to his means, give effective expression to their conviction~.
''Great national progrcHs has often sprung from small beginnings, from the iuitintive and efforts of
narrow eircles, if thc:'c were only in hnrmony with the comlition of circumstances in general.
"\V c are pcuetmtc<l by the eonvietion that the colonial question has not been raised arbitrarily, but
that rather it has spmng fi'Om the general eondition aud circnmstances of the united German people, and
that it will receive a final, though of necessity too long delayed solution, on this account consequently with
the nssent and co-operation of the united nation."
The effect of the foregoing appeal, and whether the preliminary steps taken hy the Association
have, up to now, been followed by success, will he seen in the following retJOrt on the Associ~ttion's first
general meeting, held in this city on the 4th ,January, 1884.
Report on tlte Fitst General :Afeeting.
Prince Ilohcnlohc opened the meeting with the information th::tt the Association has about 3,300
members, certainly a proof that an intelligent agreement with the ell'orts of the As8ociation is ever spreading
through wider circles, and is approved by the nntion. It is not, however, to be concealed that, in consideration of the small experience extant in Germany on the subject of colonial policy, the Association can
only undertake its task with great caution and foresight.
Schemes of all kinds have been placed before the Society, lJut most of them were not worked out,
so as to llc practicable at present; and, above all, they failed in pecuniary Hupport.
Tkere m·e also enterprises for tlw erection of lTading posts on lwnd, w!zic!t-hecause not Jjetfinishecl
-impose tlw Teserve of silence. Resides these, Yery many projects have come hefore the Society.
They were partly iusnffieicntJy prepared, partly plmutastic, partly they did not enjoy the confidence of
:financiers. Only two of them awakened lively interc'st, the first of whieh is the advmwemcnt of the
German Tcmplar Colony in Syria; and the second, at the instigation of the Soeiety for Commercial
Geography in Leipzig, the assistance of economical projects in Paraguay. This latter, carefully studied,
examined by an expert on the spot, full of the prospects of a happy development, has been assigned by the
Directors of the German Colonial Association to a Commiosion of Examination, ami it;:; decision can be
regarded as a competent one.
The settlement in Jaffa, near ,Jcnmalem, is in a :flourishing state; it haH remained altogether
German, and its inhabitants are not Turkish subjects; what they require is money for pnrposes of irrigation
for huying land, and for a road to ,Jerusalem. The Association will, perhaps, be able to come fot·ward
cnergeticnlly and snpport the nrst colony which has really remained German. But the chief work of the
Society must consist in making clear to t.he nation the importance of the possession of colonies. The
Association is not for founding-it cannot create trade settlements with its own means, it cannot huy
territory, it can only stimnlatc others to do so.
The means to this end is naturally the "German Colonial Journal," organ of the Association. The
right tone was not always taken in this paper at ftrst, but it is to be hoped that in time the organ will
satisfy all pretensions.
The speaker then touched on the ways amtl means of the agitation to mnke the aims of the Association clear to the public, and expre;;scd himself, in addition, ou the position of the Association in regard
to the German Government. He said that be had been commissioned by the Directors to feel the Government on the subject. He had often had opportunity to discuss the plan of the Society with the :Foreign
Office. Even if he ha•l been met at :first with a certain reluctance-a consequence of the evident belief
that the ARsociation wished to aid emigration-nevertheless, he had soon been met in an altogether
friendly manner.
Then the speaker eontinued to state that the ARsoeiation should try as much as possible to proceccl
in harmony with the Government, and therefore be reservetl in its political relations; and referred to an
expression of an American Consul, who once said that he rejoiced at the spirit of self-help in the American
people, who never aHk : "What will GoYermnent do for us?" but who ask, "\V hat shall I do?" That
ought to he the Association's motto also.
"I am convinced," so the speaker said, "that the Government will then help ns. I consider it a
lucky omen tlmt our first general meeting has been deferred to the date ou which, :fifty years ago, the
German Zollverein was created. That was the corner-stone of our economical system, which has made our
industry flourish in such an 1m-thought of manner. I hope," he continued, " that the Colonial Association
may be the basis by help of which our transmurine industry will bloom in an independent way, so that we
can soon say : '\Ve will take care of onrsel vcs beyond the sea, and not always seiTC other nations.'"
A review of the :first year of the Association's operations contains the following remarks:" Glancing back over the first year of the German Colonial Association's existence, we meet many
attacks and many excessive and unjustifiable demands.
"Some thought it would bring ready-made Colonies as dowry with it; others drew sulkily hack
when it was saill that England would incorpomte New Guinea, because the Association could do nothing to
prevent it : others watch, with folded arms, how the Association they were so glad to see would develop
itself, and wonld join it with pleasnre after some great deed-as if it were not the joint activity of all that
forwarded a joint undertaking, and that without a common action it must fall to the ground.
"Others seek to introduce loss of free trade or religious intolerance, although they well know that
the Society could only he founded on the good-will and agreement of all parties, and can only thus continue
to exist.
138]
17
"But better results have also heen obtained. There is a list of 3,260 member>~, with the hest names
and with many of the Corporatious of Germany. A friPndly feeling and good fellowship, us well as the
hope of closer connections, has been made possihle with all the Societies of a similar aim, which at first
showed a cohl reserve. Tbe vVe,;t German Society has been amalgamated as a branch Society. The idea
of German colonization gains grouml in speech and publicity, most especially amongst the German traders."
We take the following informatiou from the Heport tbr 1883 : "At the end of the first year of the AsHociation it counts 3,260 memuers, of which 21 townships,
15 Chambers of Commerce, 15 Commercial Hocietie~, are to he given as Corporations. The Association
is already :<pread over almo~t all Germany, eyen if the north an!l east are not represented as strongly as
could he desired.
"The short hi:-1tory of the Assoeiatiou haR nlreatly suffieiently proved the necessity for laying a
g1·eater value on the aetivity of local !L:>seml,JieR; for if n strong influence is to he exereisell over the ~pirit
nud ideas of the nation, it eau hardly he RO nmch through a central direction as through the pcrBonal
influence of a local A:;sociat.ion.
"J n respe<•t to the ontwanl work of the ARsocintiou, the past year was mtturally devoted above all
to extending operations as much as po:"sible, in order to gain a firm oasis for the future. Up to the present
only 492 places in Germany and 43 ont~i<le (of which 19 out of Europe) are to Le given in which the
Association has succeeded iu gaining a foothold. NevertheleRs, expericnee teaches that we mn,y well
expect a growth in the way that has np to now been followed.''
Next to tlte propaganda aimed at through the Association's organ, the greatest ;;tres:~ i~ placed on
lectures, in which the end and aim of the Association ~hall be made clear to the comprehension of wider
circles all{} new m em bm·s gained.
The account" for 1883 give the following:TnE GEHMAN
CoLONIAL AssociATION AccouNTS FOR
EXPF.7S'RRS.
RECEIPTS.
Members' subscriptions
Interest on deposit
1883.
Rm.
pf.
21,207
114
00
38
21,321
Hm.
pi.
10,:289 48
Office
1,945 18
448 91
Furniture
Library and newspapers
Lectures and travelling
General meeting ...
Agitation
Printing ...
Newspapers, expedition
Rumlries
Balance in hand .••
2,968 76
9'2 10
~95 70
2,376 11
120 08
61 00
2,224 06
---·
21,321
38
:~8
~-------········-~~
(Rigned)
CHARLES OrrENHEillnm, Comml-General.
l''rankfort-on-Maine, February, 1884.
P. 84/2528.
TnE AGENT-GENERAL TO THE PREMIER.
2354/84.
8 Victoria Cluunhcrs, \Vcst.minster, S. ,V.,
1st. August, 1884.
Sm,
*
*
Referring to the question of annexation, and the nature of the protectorate to
he assumed in the 'VeRteru Pacific, I ain still nnahlc to report any rPply fmm the
Colonial Office to the views urged in onr interview with the SPeretary of State on the
2nd ultimo, although we have made frequent applications, hoth in writing aml verbally.
As, howcver1 Sir \V. MeArtlmr has lH~en requested hy tlw Premier to postpone the
question which he hRB heen intending to nsk, and to whieh I hav<' also allmlcu in my
uespatch No. 2351 of this day, until after the Cabinet meeting of to-morrow, I trust
that we may receive a satis£-wtorv assurance on this as well as other matters. The
House, it appears, will probably s~parate on the 13th, so that the time at our disposal
is, it will be seen, very brief; hut if Mr. Gladstone can be induced, by further study
and explanation, to adopt our views, there is yet l'uffieiPut interval to obtain Imperial
legislative sanction for the principle of federation.
I have the honour to he 1
Rir,
Your mo::;t ohedient servant,
RonT. l\fnmAY SMITH.
THE HmmnARLE
THE PnE~HER,
M IU,BOURNE.
Xo. 97.
18
Telegram Referred to in Preceding Letter.
No. 84/1935A.
TEr,EGRA?>r.
THE Prm:IInm To THE AGENT-GENERAL.
:Melbourne, 22nd July, 1884.
Queensland Assembly has passed Federal Cuundl Re;;olntions nnrmimou~ly.
JA)rES SERVICE,
I>rernier.
No. 84/2010A.
TELEGRAM.
THE PREMIER TO
nm
AGENT-GENERAL.
Melbourne, 26th July, 1884.
Legislature "\Vestern Australia passed Convention Resolutions, Nos. three to
seven inclusive ; see pages thirteen and fourteen Convention proceedings. Nos. one
and two were rejected. An address was also passed approving Federal Council Bill.
You should now press Lord Derby for Enabling Bill at once. Four Colonies now
concur, and South Australia is, I think, certain in a few dnys .
•TAMES SERVICE,
Premier.
P. 84/2118.
TELEGRAM.
THE AGENT-GENERAL TO THE PRE::\HEH.
I.~ondon,
30th July, 1884.
Enabling BilL-Have seen Lord Derby and Sir Robert Herbert to-day.
Difficulties are alleged, viz., closing session, members leaving town ; still
hopeful. Adelaide important.
*
*
R. MunnAY
S.MITH,
Agent-General.
P. 84/2529.
TnE AaENT-GmmnAL TO THE PRE::\HER.
No. 2351/84.
8 Victoria Chambers, Victoria-street, \Vestminster, S. "\V.,
1st August, 1884.
Sm,
*
*
*
*
The question which Sir 'N. McArthur was to have asked, last night, as to the
nature of the protectorate to be assumed over the Pacific Islands, has been postponed
until next week, as I underst:wd, at the personal request of the Premier, who desires
to obtain fuller information on the subject; we may, therefore, trust that the reply
will eventually he such as may enable us to hope for the security of those Islands
against all foreign interference. It would appear that the German Colonization
1383
19
Society is at present directing its attention to South Africa; hut I have not ceased to
urge upon the Colonial Office the danger of fiuther delay in dealing, at any rate, with
New Guinea, and, in a lesser degree, with the Islands of the Western Pacific.
I have the honour to he,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
TnE HoNoRABLE
RonT. MmmAY SMITH;
TnE PREMIER,
MELBOlanm.
P. 84/2678.
2.509/84.
TnE AGENT-GENERAL To THE PREMIER.
Federation and Annexation.
Confidential.
8 Vietoria Chambers, 'Vestminster, S. W.,
15th August, 1884.
Sm,
Referring to my despatch, No. 2438, of the 8th instant, I have the honour to
enclose report of the discussion which took place in the House of Commons on the
subjects of the " Pacific protectorate" and the "Enabling Bill for the Federation of
the Australasian Colonies."
""With regard to the first matter, the reply of the Prime l\linister to the question
of Sir vV. McArtlmr, undertook, as you will observe, that a protectorate of an efficient
character, extending its jurisdiction to foreigners as well as British subjects, should be
established over the southern and eastern portions of New Guinea. He declined,
however, to extend that protectorate- which indeed differs little from actual
annoxation-·boyond the limits of that island, refusing altogether to accede to the
request that a similar jurisdiction should he established over the groups of islands
specified by the Agents-General in their discussion with the Colonial Office. I cannot,
however, believe that action with reference to these territories can he very much
longer delayed, although meanwhile, as I have taken occasion to point out to the
Colonial Office, the danger of Foreign intervention is becoming more imminent. I
forwarded to Sir H. Herbert a copy of the reply to the questions of M. Courmeaux,
made by the Chamber of Commerce at N oumea, which urged upon the French
Government the appropriation not only of the New Hebrides, but also of the Santa
Cruz and Solomon Islands; and it is evident, from a recent despatch of Mr. Romilly,
Deputy Commissioner of the Pacific, whieh I now enclose for your perusal,* that
German settlement in the "\V estern Pacific is also attrading the attention and
requiring the protection of that Imperial Government. The above-mentioned despatch
has g;iven rise to so much puhlic comment, and appeared to me to demonstrate so
clearly the necessity for further interference by England, that I Yentured to address
a letter to the Times on the suhjeet, copy of which is attached. It is indeed difficult
to understand the reason which induce~ the Home Government to decline the request
of the Australasian Colonies, and I can only hope that persistent application may
obtain consent on their part. The confederation of the Colonies would do much
to remove all difficulties, siucc, as you ~will perceive by enclosed extracts, t it is impossible to separate Queensland from complicity in the labour traffic, ~which naturally
excites against any projects of annexation the utmost opposition of the philanthropic
party bore.
I have the honour to lJC,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
THE HoNORABLE
HonT. MuRRAY SMITH.
Trm PREliUEn,
MELBOURNE.
"' Impcriall'arliamentary Paper, C. 41~6.
t Articles from St. Jamcs's Gazette, Times, ami Morning Post, of 13 August, 188,1; Daily News, of 1J August, 1884;
Evening News, and Post, of 15 August, 1884,
20
("
1.~mes,"
Htlt August, 188-!.)
WESTERN PACIFIC ISLANDS.
To the Editor of the Times.
The «Report. concerning the state of affairs in the \Vestern Pacific," recently received from DeputyCommissioner Romilly, calls further attention to the existence of atrocities connected with the labonr trade
which were pointed out to the Colonial Office by the Ageuts-General for the Austmlasian Colonies so long
ago as .July, 1883. The only efficient remedy for these evils was then declared to be "the assumption by
England of complete jmisdiction over the We~tem Pacifie," and I venture to say that thi~ statement is not
less true now than it was last year. The difficulty which presents itself to Mr. Romilly, as it has done to
every Commissioner aeting under the Western Pacific Order in Conn(•il of Hl77, is that helm;; actually no
power. Neither natives nor foreigners are suhjectcd in any way to hh; jurisdiction, nor has he anything
more than a very limited authority over English traders. On page 15, for instauee, he mention~ that he war;
urged by a German trader to prevent the Ariel, a Queensland labour schooner, from "upplying a savage tribe
of New Ireland with muskets. "I told him,'' says :Mr. Homilly, "that I deeply regretted I had no power
to prevent it., but. I would inform the captain aud the Government agent of the immorality of what they
were doing." WIHtt was the re~ult ? The captain and Government ageut decliued to comply with his
request, and, continues Mr. Romilly, "before I left the place this tribe nearly exterminated n few families
of natives who lived ou a small island two miles away." Not only has Mr. Homilly no power; he has no
means of locomotion. "It has heen unfortunately out of my power," he says, "to visit this place (Neusa ).
It is 150 miles from where my head-quarters are situated, and, as I said before, I have not even an open
boat to go about in." Of what value can snch nominal superintendence be, unless to point out the neeessity
for more stringent action and more efficient jurisdiction? That it is possible for the Imperial Government
to assume that jurisdiction without cost or risk is surely sutlieicnt answer to those who might otherwise
reasonably object to the increase of the already vast responsil.Jilities of the Empire, and it must he l.Jy this
time well known to the English public that the Australasian Colonies have afforded to the Imperiul
GoYernment sufficient guarantees on these points. To whom, indeed, could the management of these
islands be so fitly intmst.cd as to an Australasian Coufederney ? No one, perhap~, is hetter qualified to
speak on such a subject than Sir "\Villiam des V cenx, Governor of Fiji, nnd High Commissioner of the
"\Vestern Pacific, and I propose to quote a brief extract from the vnlnahle aml co11viueing memorandum
which he supplied to the Australa!lian Convention at their meeting in December, IR!:\3 : Sm,
"Having been now over four years officially concerned with the Islands of the Western Pacific COill]ll'iscd within the
JUrisdiction of the High Commission, I have learm'd quite enough of their condition to justify the conviction that the
attainment of the object desired l1y .Anstralaoia may be made consistent with their best interests. !ntleed, in view of the
not unnntural reluctance of the Imperial Government to undertake additional responsibility, I have gradually formed the
opinion that control on the pa1 t of th(• Confederated Colonies over these Islands affords the only reasonable prospect of
material aud moral advantage to them, and the only ratioual hope that they will for centuries to come pron~ of any
substantial benefit to the world at large."
It ma.y, indeed, be alleged that a,; from Quecufilall!l lJroeeeds the priucipal demaiHl f(n· Polynesi!m
1tbonr, it might not be right to intrnst to that coluuy the umuagemcnt of these t.erritorie:;. I believe
myself that the Qucen,.;land Goverumeut is hone!ltly bent, so far as it-; possil,Je, on putting un end tu the
evil,; at.tcudnut 011 that traffic, which, nevertheless, many anwug the hest informed :wthoritic~ bl'iieve, to
u;;e Sir W. des Vmnx',; phra;;c, ";;lwnld be iuexorahly suppresst•d." Whatever may ho said, however, of
the action of certain intlividna]l'l iri Qncen;,:lalHl, or iu a lesser degree in New Hontlt Wales, the remaining
Colouies of the Australasian group have no iHterest whatever in the uminlcaance of the Polyuc;;iau lnl.Jour
traffic. No Polynesian labour ha~ ever beeu required for ~ew Zealand, Tnsnmnia, Viet.oria. or, so fm· as I
kuow, fOI' Southcm and \Vestcrn Australia. My own colouy ha;; been houorably distmguished by
endea,·onrs, not always sneeessfnl, to lwing to just.iee :;uch pervetrator.~ of t.he;;e outrages as Fet foot within
her borders. And no reasouable doubt enii exist that, ItS the Anstralasinii community must, iu the futnre,
he the dominant power in the Pacific, they have the right to claim the po,;ses,;ion of thel'le islauds, aml the
power, as well as the disposition, to administer them justly.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
RonER'f :iYimmAY s~nTH,
Agent-Geuend for Victm·ia.
("Standard," 12tlt August, 1H84,)
NEW
GUINEA.
Sir W. 1\IcAnTHt:R asked tho First I.ord of the Treasury whether tho "proteetiou ,, mentioned iu
IJor!l Derby's despatch of the 9th May, 1884, to the Governors of the Australian Colonies, ns intended to be
cstablishetl in New Guinea, and towards which the Am;tro.liuu Colonies had agreod to pay £15,000 for the
yem·, would establish complete jurisl]iction of the Btitish Government over New Guinea o.ud the adjacent
ishmdP, so us to ufford protection to the natiYes, not. ouly against the lawlcssne~s of Briti::;h subjects, lmt
agaiust the lawlessne~s of the subjects of other nations?
Mr. GI.ADSTOl\E.-The proteetioH meutioued in the tle~pateh of Lont Derby is in the nature uf
protection whieh Her :iYf:tjesty':s Govemmeut has been ad vi sed. to estnblh;h over so lllueh of the coa!'t of
New Guinea as lies to tl1e eastward of the Duteh po~scssions, or of the Duteh elaim upon the southern
coa.;t of that. island, hut exclmling some portion~ which lie to the north as well as thut portion whil'h is
claimed u\' Holland ou the nort.heru side. I eould not. at. this moment. gh·e a minute defimtiou of the line
np to whi'eh this proteetorate wiil extend ; hut within the limits of it it will answer the }ll!rpose of HlY hon.
friewl iu his question; tbat is to :-uy, the jttrisdietion of Her :iYlajesty'::; Government will be suflicicut to
aflord proteetion to the uativeH agnin,.,t lawleH~IIC"~"• whetht>r by British !:inhjccts or by foreigner~. The
prote<'liuu does not extcml to the i~laud!i to the north aml east of New Uuinea.
1385
21
Sir H. Wou~l' asked whether there h.ad been any communication with the Government of the
Netherlands on the matter?
1\'fr. GLADSTONg,-J do not ,;ee wily there shouhl Le any ooimnunieation with the Government
of the Netherlands, inmmmch as everything which t.he Government of the Netherlands may claim is
carefully excluded.
In reply to Sir H. HoLLAND,
:Mr. AsiiLEY subsequently shtled tlmt Her Majesty',; Government proposed, as soon as they could,
to appoint a High Commissioner for New Guinea, who should be indepenJent of the Governor of Fiji.
Lord H. Cm:RClllLL.-Will the High Commis;;ioner be a Cabinet ~Jinister? (Ironical Opposition cheers.)
A USTHALASIAN CONFEDERATION.
Mr. ,J. :YfcCAnTHY, for :Yir. P ARYELL, asked the Firl'lt I,ord of the Treasury whether any
intimation had been made to him hy the leaders of the Opposition of their disposition in regard to the
introduction of au Enablinl! Bill on the subject of Australasian Confederation?
:Mr. Gr,ADSTOYE.-Thc llouse may have in its recollection what was statctl by me a few evenings
ago, and shortly after that Htatemeut I wa::; given to umlcrstaml that honorable gent.lemen opposite
a kiudly support to a proposal made at this moment, by which alone it could he
would not be able to
passed into law, and consequently Her M:ajc5ty't> Government luttl dropped the idea.
Sir S. NonTHCOTE inquired whether he would consent to introduce a Bill for the purpo~e of
promoting a Confederation of the AnBtralinn Colonies in the Autumn Se8~iou ; and, if not, would he
explain the reason ?
:Yh. GLADSTONE.-It appears to me that it woulll be premature to determine anything at this
moment as to any particular subject to be introduced during the Autumn Session over and above the IWl
relating to the Franchise. W c Hhonld he very glad to aet upon the subject of an Enabling Bill for the
Confederation of the Australian Colonies at the present time ; hut as that camwt be done, the matter must
stand over necessarily for a certain time. Should it present features of urgency as the period of t.lw
Autumn Se~sion anivcs, we should dc~ii'C to consider it. in the ~amc spirit ItS we considered it last week; but
any decision npou any ~ubjcct except that of the extension of the franchise at the present time it is our
view would be out of place.
P. 84/32GS.
'THE SECRETARY oF
STATE Fun THE
CoLONIES TO
Hrs
ExcELLENCY THE GovERNOR
o.F N1~w SouTH 'VALES.
Lomlon, 30th Octoher, 1884.
(~ueen of England and Empress of India has appointed General Scratcbley as
Special Commissioner to control protectorate iu New Guinea. 'Vill sail about 20th
November. Her Majesty's Government think it desirable that Colonies contributing
cost of protectorate should appoint ,\lemhers of Council of Advice in Australia to
assist him. Please inquire, and state by telegraph, whether your Government and
other contributing Governments agree to be represented in the Council. It is intended
Special Commissioner, who will he independent of High Conn:nissioner, slutll have a
jurisdiction over all persons within protectorate, and that no land shall he acquired
there except through him. He also will be Deputy Commissioner portions of N mv
Guinea outside protectorate. Admiralty recommend purchase dockyard steamer for
Special Commissioner, estimate cost arrive in Sydney £16,000 or £18,000. To make
him efficient, £15,000 guaranteed must be apparently considerahly increased.
Telegraph whether gmtrautceing Colonies will double their contrihutiom; for such;
if not, Seratchl,v must make best practical ftrrangements he can after :1rrival in
Am;tralia.
No. 84/3329.
Premier's Office,
Melbourne, 5th November, 1884.
Jl:femomndum for His Excellency tll13 Governor.
l\fr. Service presents his duty to Your Excellency, and recommends that the
enclosed telegram he sent to the Hight Honourable the Secretary of State for the
Colonies.
J AM:ES SEIWICE,
Premier.
22
[ENCI,OSURE TO PRECEDING. J
DRAFT TELEGUA::If.
THE GovEHNOR
UP
VIcTORIA To TIIE SECRETARY
OE
STATE :rmn THE CoLONIES.
Melbourne, 6th November, 1884.
Government approve principle of Consultative Council, hut desire more details.
They think. proposed Federal Council hest consulting body, and desire to know if
Imperial Government intend introduce Enahling Rill this ses~iou; tltey deem this
mo~t important. Itespecting double subsidy, great disappointment at limited area
protectorate. Southern Colonies equally interested in islands as in Guinea, and ·would
gladly douhlc to secure them. As Colony asked to contribute towards expenses of
deputy outside protectorate, Government desire to be informed if the country over
which he will exercise jurisdiction as deputy will he protected from occupation hy
Foreign Powers.
P. 84/3417.
TI<:LEGRAl\1.
Hrs ExcELLE~CY TJIB GovEnNoR oF NEW SouTu WALES To 'rHE GovEmmn
OF V ICTOIUA.
Sydney, November 20, 1884.
After full
Following received to-day fi·om Lord Dcrhy :-" Nonrnher H).
consideration replies fi·om Australasian Government:-; respecting increased contribution
and Council of Advice, Her Majesty's Government propose to leave questions for the
consideration of the Australasian Governments with Special Commissioner on arrival.
Special Commissioner sails 20 NovemlJer. Inform Australasian Governments."
GovERNOR ol!' NEw Sou'l'n -wALEs.
P. 84/3480.
THE SECRETARY m' STATE FOR TIIE CoLoxms TO H rs ExcELLENCY THE GovERNOR.
VICTORIA.-No. 67.
Downing-street,
15th October.
Sm,
s oct.
I have the honour to transmit to you, for communication to your Government,
a copy of a letter which I have caused to he addressed to the Admiralty, and from
·which you will observe that Her Majesty's Government have decided that the
establishment of Her Majesty's protedorate over the southern coast of New Guinea
and the adjacent islands, as announced by the Prime Minister in the House of
Commons :tt the cud of the late Session of Parliameut, should now he proclaimed, and
that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have been requested to take the
necessary steps for canying the decision into execution.
I hope to address to you very shortly a further conmmuication in regard to the
measures which \Yill have to be taken in orde1· to render the protectorate effective;
and, until the necessary arrangements have been made, it is desirable that it should be
generally known that, as stated in the letter fi·om the departrnent to the Admiralty, no
persons will he permitted to settle or acquire land within the protectorate unless
expressly authorized by an officer of Her Majesty's Govermnent.
.
This obviously important requirement is in accordance with the 4th resolution
of the Intercolonial Conference of 1B83, respecting relations with the Pacific Islands.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
GovERNOR
Sm H. B. Locn, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c.
DERBY.
1387
23
Resolution above 'tqfi1Ted to.
" ( 4.) That, in the opinion of this Convention, no purclmses or pretended
purchases of land made hefbre the cstahlislnnent of British jurisdiction or dominion in
New Guinea or otlwr islnnd of the Pacific not having n recognized Government should
he acknowledged, except in respect of laud actually occupied for mis:.;ionary or
trading purposes ; and further, that after the establishment of such jurisdiction or
dominion no acquisition of Jnud should he permitted except through the Crown, then
only for the like purposes."
[CoPY.]
THE CoLoNIAL OFFICE 'ro THE AmuRALTY.
Downing-street, 8th Octoher, 1884.
Sm,
I am directed hy the Earl of Dcrhy to acquaint you that Her Majesty's
Government have decided that the establishment of the Queen's protectorate and
jurisdiction on·r the Southern Coast of New Guinea to the t-astward of the 141st
meridian of east longitude, as explained hy the First Lonl of the Treasury in the House
of Commons on the 11th August, should now be proclaimed, and to request the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty to t:.tkc the necessary steps for carrying this decision
into executiou.
2. The protectorate will, f(n· the present, extend along the southern shore of New
Guinea and over the eountry a!ljacent thereto t1·om the I 41st meridian of east longitntlc
before mentioned eastward as thr as East Cape, including any islands adjacent to the
mainland in Goselwn Straits, and to the southvntrd of the said Straits as titr south and
east as to include Kosmau Isl:.md. No petsons will he permitted to settle or acquire
land within the protcetorate unless expressly authorized by an oflicer of Her Majesty's
Government.
3. Lord Derby understands that the Commodore on the Australian Station is at
present at S;nlney awaiting instructions on this snbject, and His Lordship will be
obliged if the Lonls Commissioners will instrm·t him by telegraph to proceed fortlnv:ith
to :1\lew Guinea and proclaim Her Majesty's protectorate, as defined in this letter, at a
sufficient number of places along the coast. It is not possible to specify the points at
which the flag should he hoisted and other usual formalities gone through, aml it nmy
be desirable to leave these •letails to the discretion of the Commodore.
4. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty \Yerc good enough to give
directions for the detention at Cooktown of H.M.S. Har1·ier, which is proceeding to
New Guinea to convey Mr. Deputy-Commissioner Romilly to New Guinea, and Lord
Derby will be o!Jliged if instructions are now given for the !-farrier to proceed with ::\Ir.
Romilly to his destination.
5. Some short time may elapse befi)re the further nrmugements tor the
protectorate can he completed, and Lonl Derby will he glad if the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty can make provision for the presence of one or more of
Her Majesty's ships on the protected coast during the remainder of this year.
I am, &c.,
(Signed)
R. G.
'l'HE SECRETARY
TO THE ADMIHALTY.
By Authority: JonN
FnRES1 GoYernment
Printer, Melbourne.
w.
HER13ERT.