HC Deb 07 July 1884 vol 290 cc207-9
MR. R. N. FOWLER (LORD MAYOR)

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Her Majesty's Government have entered into any provisional arrangement with the Australian Colonies with reference either to New Guinea, or to the islands of the Western Pacific generally?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

The House may remember that in July of last year the Secretary of State, in a despatch addressed to the Administrator of Queensland, said that in order to place Her Majesty's Government in a position to consider proposals for any decided action in the Australasian Archipelago it was necessary that the Australian Colonies should combine together effectively and provide the cost of carrying out any policy which it might be decided to adopt. Well, a Conference of the Colonies subsequently assembled, and passed some very clear and decided Resolutions, which, however, have not yet been adopted or ratified by all the Colonies who were represented at the Conference. Lord Derby, therefore, seeing that time was passing away, sent, in the May of this year, a Circular Despatch to all the Australian Colonies and New Zealand, of which the following is an extract:— As, therefore, in the absence of any joint action by the Colonies, Her Majesty's Government are not in a position to deal with those questions of policy to which I have referred, and some further delay seems unavoidable, it may be desirable that your Government should consider with the Government of the other Australasian Colonies whether there may not be advantage in making provision for the intervening period in the manner suggested by me in paragraph 7 of my despatch of July 11 last to Sir A. H. Palmer. As I then stated, Her Majesty's Government are confident that no Foreign Power contemplates interference with New Guinea; but in the absence of any controlling authority, it is always possible that the subjects of a Foreign Power might require the protection or intervention of their Government; and British subjects, also, by coming into collision with the Natives, or by setting up claims to land, might cause complications which would give much trouble hereafter. Her Majesty's Government are disposed to think that there should be a High Commissioner, or at least a Deputy Commissioner, with large powers of independent action, stationed on or near the Eastern coasts of New Guinea, and that he should be furnished with a steamship independent of Her Majesty's Naval Squadron, and with a staff sufficient to enable him to exercise protection in the name of the Queen over those shores. The cost of this arrangement cannot be accurately estimated, as I have previously stated; but if one or more Colonies will secure to Her Majesty's Government the payment of a sum of (say) £15,000 during the year ending 1st June, 1885, they will be prepared to take immediate steps for establishing the High Commissioner's jurisdiction, and will render to the contributing Governments an account of the expenditure incurred. Within the last few days we have received replies by which we are informed that the Australian Colonies agree to our proposals, and consent to find the contribution of £15,000 a-year. We shall, therefore, without delay name an additional Commissioner or Commissioners, and proceed to carry out the arrangements suggested, and can at more leisure consider the bearings of the larger questions.

MR. GORST

Would the hon. Gentleman lay on the Table of the House the despatch in question?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

said, it would be laid on the Table in the course of a week or a fortnight.

SIR HENRY HOLLAND

Under what Act or Acts will this Commissioner have jurisdiction?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

Under the same Acts as the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific.