ANNEXATION IN THE PACIFIC.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 34, 8 January 1884, Page 3

ANNEXATION IN THE PACIFIC.

(Weekly Times.) London, Nov. 8. The prospects of an ultimate—and, in some respects, even early—realisation by the Australian Colonies of their schemes in regard to the future of the Pacific have considerably improved during the last month. The Colonial Office is beginning to recede from the attitude of obstinate resistance which it at first assumed in respect to annexation in the Pacific, and prominent officials whose words carry weight with even the political leaders of the day are recognising that after all the colonists probably knew their own business best, though they might possibly have urged their views with more diplomatic tact and less juvenile impetuosity. From one source and another I have been enabled to gather a good deal of information, which shows distinctly enough the present “ get” of official opinion on the several grave questions relating to the Pacific, which are now under the consideration of Her Majesty’s Ministers, both Imperial and Colonial. In the first place, it would be well to allude to the important batch of “ correspondence respecting New Guinea, the New Hebrides, and other islands in the Picific,” which has just been issued. It carries the “ official” narrative of events up to tire end of August, when Lord Derby replied to the menorandum of the Agents-General, that the Imperial Government ase far from being satisfied that the assumption of the response bilities which a protectorate over the New Hebrides and other islands would involve is necessary or justifiable. Without attempting to explain the action taken by each individual colony or the extent of pressure each brought to bear upon the Colonial Office to secure the adoption of any Australasian policy, it may be interesting to supply some few details respecting the steps adopted by New Zealand. The telegrams which passed between the Government and Sir Francis Bell have probably appeared already, but the despatch in which Sir William Jervois urged upon Lord Derby the desirability of establishing British rule over the New Hebrides

and other islands in the Pacific, has moat likely not yet seen the light, and it sums up so •’liCvinctly the special reasons in favour of an Immediate adoption of the Aus-, tralasian policy that I am tempted to quote its salient points. Sir William Jervois, writ, ing on June 16, assigned the following “ special reasons,” why annexation would be beneficial to the colonies and should be adopted without unnecessary delay. “1. The distance between the Australasian colonies and the possessions of any other European power (with the single exception of the French Island of Caledonia) is at present one of the principal reasons for their coniparative security from foreign attack. It is believed here that this state of things will in all probability ere long be changed, as more than one Power is understood to be desirous of taking possession of some of these islands, which might (in the event of a Euro- ' pean war) become a base for hostile opera- i tions, and at other times be a constant source i of jealousy and inconvenience. 2. The trade between these islands and Australia is already considerable, and likely in all probability rapidly to increase, It is almost impossible that, in this event, the islands should remain permanently in the hands of uncivilised races, and the only alternative will be the occupation by England or some other maritime nation, 8. Much inconvenience has already been felt in these colonies by New Caledonia being used as a penal settlement. It is, unfortunately too often the fate of French and other foreign colonial possessions to become convict establishments, and there is a fear prevailing here that the New Hebrides and other islands may be thus used, and that there will be an influx into Australasia of liberated and escaped convicts, the most undesirable of all imnilgl-ants, 4. I need hardly point out to your Lordship that these colonies, rapidly increasing as they are in wealth and population, would be well able in future to undertake the management and protection of the islands. Indeed I believe that having to do so would be beneficial to them, as em couraging a feeling in favor of federation, to which intercolonial free trade would be an incident, and making them realise more fully the fact of the necessity for their providing for their own self-defence.” It is somewhat significant that Sir A. H. Palmer-, in a desSatch written while he was administering the overnment of Queensland a few months since, expressed opinions considerably at variance with those embodied in the last paragraph of Sir William Jervois’s despatch. Sir A. H. Palmer urged that while, so long as New Guinea became an appanage of the British Crown, it was of little importance whether she was governed by Queensland or directly by the Crown ; still he believed, looking at the antecedents of Fiji, that Pupua could be governed as efficiently, and very much more economically, from Queensland, He felt quite sure, he said, that any attempt to govern, by a federeration of the Australian colonies, and the expenses paid by subscription from them, would be a failure. There are two or three other points in the Blue-book which will be hailed with satisfaction in the Colonies. One is the abandonment by the French Government of the assertion that an understanding existed between France and England that neither country should adopt a policy of annexation in New Guinea without previous notice and agreement. The British Government promptly disputed the existence of any such agreement, and the French Foreign Office, after giving assurance that they had no intention of interfering with New Guinea, subsequently admitted its mistake, and expressed itself as “ unaware of any exchange of views having taken place between the two countries with regard to New Guinea.” It is also well to note that as late as July 10 of the present year, the French Government, in explicit terms, admitted that the declarations exchanged between England and France in 1878 with regard to the New Hebrides are still in force, and binding upon both countries.