THE NEW GUINEA. COLONISATION LEAGUE AND THE PREMIER OF VICTORIA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5427, 19 August 1878, Page 3

THE NEW GUINEA. COLONISATION LEAGUE AND THE PREMIER OF VICTORIA.

(Queenslander, August 3.) Whatever may be the foibles of Mr. Graham Berry, the present Premier of Victoria, a weakness for involving the Victorian Government beyond the reach of his Parliamentary majority does not seem to be one of them. The New Guinea Colonisation League was, from the first, frowned upon and ridiculed by the Argus, and rather encouraged by the Age , and from the partisan course followed by these journals, people at a distance were led to believe that the league would blossom and aye bear fruit under the Berry administration, and under any change of Ministry would probably wither away to naught. The prominent men in the Colonisation League, and notably one Mr. Pods, are of that section of Melbourne politicians who it might be supposed .would be most influential with the present Colonial Secretary, but at their latest interview with that gentleman, Mr. Pods and his friends have been 44 brought up all standing,” Sir Arthur Gordon, in his capacity of Lord High Commissioner, was pleased to take cognisance of the projects of the league, and invited their spokesmen to see him. He reminded them that wherever they might go they were, and would continue to be, British subjects, and amenable to British law, but that without an Imperial charter they were utterly devoid of authority for their acts, and had no claim for help or protection as British subjects. Mr. Pods and his fellow deputies restrained themselves in the presence of the Lord High Commissioner, but judging from what transpired immediately after, they felt that the dignity of Victorian citizenship had been trifled with and its privileges invaded by Sir A. Gordon. At their interview with Mr. Berry subsequently, Mr. Pods, who seems given to orating a la, King Cambysea, was prefacing his business with some severe remarks about officious personages interfering with the freedom of Australian citizens and the prerogative of Victorian Premiers, when he was moat abruptly cut abort by Mr. Berry requiring to know what he wanted, and insisting on his coming to tho point. Then did Mr. Pods produce a very long memorial to her Majesty, which ho prayed tho Government of Victoria to transmit direct Amongst other things, this memorial prayed—“ That tho territory consisting of that portion of tho island of New Guinea, not in the possession of the Patch, together with all tho islands situated between Fiji on tho east, tho Pubch settlements on tho west, the Equator on the north, and Australia and New Caledonia on the south, may bo taken possession of for and bn behalf of the British Empire ; and that such territory may bo placed under tho jurisdiction of the colony of Victoria." Then follow a number of reasons why this should bo done, and then it prays on ‘‘behalf of ourselves,. our fellow-colonists, our children, and the aborigines of the territory themselves, that tho blessing of British rule may bo extended over those lands, and that, as fellow Victorian citizens, it may become our duty and privilege to train, educate, aud advance its people in the paths of virtue, knowledge, and civilisation.” Mr. Berry, in reply, did not point out how much scopo there was in Colling wood and other suburbs of Melbourne for Victorian citizens to train, educate, and advance tho people in tho paths of knowledge and

civilisation, but he certainly did his best o “snuff out” the dreams of the deputationisty. He said that such a petttion, to carry any weight with it, must emanate from the Parliament, and not from a few individuals. They were usurping the position of Parliament. How could they ask for the annexation of the island unless they could show that those in whose hands the controlling power would lay were willing to accept it ? Such a demand was entirely beyond their functions, as no power rested with them. The right step for them to have taken was to have petitioned Parliament to take action in the matter, for the question would arise naturally as to the expenditure which would be incurred by the annexation, and the consent of those in whose hands the control of the expenditure lay was necessary before any step to sanction it could be taken. The Government could not possibly take the question up in any way except as their own wish and intention and policy, and their representations to the Homo Government would then have weighs, and, in fact, were the only sorb that could have any weight at all. The Government would give the matter their serious consideration, though he could state that if Victorian citizens went to New Guinea, they would not be utterly neglected, or left without protection, even if Sir Arthur Gordon took no steps on their behalf. More than this he could not state. There was no desire to encourage a large exodus from Victoria to New Guinea. He thought men were far more likely to do good for themselves in the colony than by rushing off to a savage island, and would do nothing to encourage such a step. Any persons forming a party as a mere private speculation to search for gold would do it at their own risk, and he did not know how their wrongs could be redressed after they were dead. Queensland, which lay so close to New Guinea, was already aroused to the importance of the acquisition, and might possibly bo in communication already with respect to it. He thought the deputation must be content with the publicity they had gained, the Government having no wish to forward the project, as they did not think it was for the good of the colony to induce hundreds and thousands of their best men to leave it without knowing how many would come back, however anxious they might be to do so.