§ Mr. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state what has become of the application of Sir Somers Vine to the Colonial Office for a refund of the expenses incurred with reference to his New Guinea land claim to which Australasia objected; and what reply, if any, did the Colonial Secretary obtain in reply to his cablegram to the Colonies respecting the payment to Sir Somers Vine of the sum of £13,000 he demanded.
1103 (Answer.) The Government of Queensland informed me last year that they and the Government of Victoria were prepared to sanction payment to the British New Guinea Syndicate from the funds of the possession of a sum of £4,000 to cover the expenses incurred by them in connection with the land concession granted by the Government of British New Guinea, but objected to by the contributory colonies. The Government of New South Wales, however, opposed any such payment, and as the consent of that Government was necessary, the payment fell through, and so far as I am aware, nothing further has been done in the matter. I may add that the claim is not against my Department but against the Government of New Guinea and the Australian States which were responsible for the finances of the territory.—(Colonial Office.)