THE ANNEXATION OP NEW GUINEA.

Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 249, 24 April 1883, Page 2

THE ANNEXATION OP NEW GUINEA.

Queensland, on behalf of the Imperial Government, has planted the Union Jack on New Guinea and taken formal possession in the Queen's name. When we hear of this we cannot but wonder th t such a step was not taken long ago. J_tpua, or New Guinea will be a most valuable possession, not merely in a commercial sense — for it is stated by explorers, D'Albertis and others, that the soil is good in the interior and that the land abounds in minerals of almost every kind— but as an act of policy it is a matter for surprise that some one bf the Great Powers had not. thought it expedient to take possession of this island long ago commanding as it does the highway between Australian ports and the ports of India and China. With British possessions on either side British merchantmen will always have a safe run through Torres Straits, <

which yrovip ndtfebsive;^been the c^i^ i6r'ins^o^v|a__aa:fifad[ ; ac^uire^ New Guinea and complications _a$ arisen £p - disturb., thj«y jpeac^ ; of thfi tfwo vPoVers v dii^e x^\iT^^^D^li^.cU' will bY better ;^ble x to v hold ; >_er 'own in the East now that the Queensland, Government has been plucky enough and. shrewd .enough ..to acquire, l^ew. Guinea-*-ior the island will be the special care of the Queensland government^ England will not* be asked to pay one farthing of the cost 1 bf gover'nnient—and although the action pf the Colonial Government is not yet ratified by the Imperial Cabinet there can be no doubt but ! that the ratification must be given, and that henceforth i New Guinea will b§ one of the most ' important posessiona of the British Crown. , ; ;