SOUTHERN ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC—ANNEXATIONS TO THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

HC Deb 14 June 1883 vol 280 cc552-3

MR. JOSEPH COWEN

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If the Government has received any communication from Melbourne or Sydney respecting the proposed annexation of groups of islands in the Pacific to the Colonies of Victoria or New South Wales?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

Short telegrams have been received, not— Proposing annexation of groups of islands in the Pacific to the Colonies of Victoria and New South Wales, but urging generally some sort of an- nexation or protectorate of certain groups of Islands.

SIR WILFRID LAWSON

asked whether the Government had received any information to the effect that some of these Australian Colonies had lately been ordering gunboats from a Newcastle firm?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

said, the Government had received no such information.

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH

asked whether the telegrams would be laid on the Table?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

said, that it would not be courteous to the Colonies concerned to lay these telegrams on the Table until an answer had been given to them.