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The Chief Secretary, Tasmania, to The Hawaiian Consul, Hobart. Sir, Premier's Office, 20 November, 1883. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the date noted in the margin, and bog to inform you that I will lay the protest forwarded by you on behalf of the Kingdom of Hawaii before the Convention of Delegates which assemble at Sydney on the 28th inst. I have, &c, AY. E. GIBLIN.

16 Nov., 1883.

' ; (7.) NEW GUINEA AND NEW HEBRIDES. From the Chairman of Congregational Union of New South Wales to The Colonial Secretary. Sir, Balmain, 26 November, 1883. I am directed to forward to you the enclosed resolution, carried unanimously at the recent sittings of the Congregational Union of New South "Wales, 18th October, 1883, and to request that you will lay it before the Annexation Convention about to be held in Sydney. I remain, &c, A. G. FEY. Eesolution: — It was moved by the Eev. James Jefferis, LL.B., seconded by the Eev. J. P. Sunderland,"and carried unanimously: — " That in the opinion of this Union it is in the highest degree important, [in the interests of peace and of civil and religious freedom, that the Sovereignty of the British Empire should be paramount in the southern seas, and hence that the occupation of New Guinea and the New Hebrides by any other Power would be inimical to the future welfare of the Colonies of Australasia and that of the native races inhabiting these seas."

(8.) NEW HEBRIDES MISSION—RESPECTING TRANSPORTATION OF CRIMINALS TO SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. Rev. J. G. Paton on behalf of New Hebrdies Mission forwards petition towards annexation. To the Hon. James Service, Premier of Victoria, and the Australasian Conference, about to meet in Sydney. Sir, In name of the New Hebrides missionaries and natives, being deputed by the synod, as senior missionary, to represent both in Australia at present, I protest against France being allowed, in accordance with her new convict law, to transport thousands of her lowest criminals and convicts to our South Sea Islands, as it would not only destroy the work of christianising and civilizing the islanders, but exterminate them, and be a prolific source of much evil to our Australian Colonies. And as our missionaries and Christian natives have frequently petitioned Great Britain to annex their islands, and cast the shield of her fostering care over them, in the name of both parties we unite with all Australia now in pleading with Great Britain at once to annex the New Hebrides, New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland, the Solomon group, and all the unannexed islands between Queensland and Fiji, which form a complete chain round Australia, and are dependencies of it, and required to complete our Australian empire. If Britain does not annex those islands, she cannot prevent Prance or any other nation making them convict settlements, by which they would become a constant source of crime and danger, and expense to Australia ; and without annexing, Britain cannot suppress the Polynesian labour traffic, so steeped in blood and suffering, on the islands, even as now conducted, with its improved laws and regulations and agents. For the following reasons I plead that our protest and petition ought to be received by you, and have some influence at the Sydney Conference : —• 1. The vessels and men-of-war of at least five nations have been cruising among our islands for purposes of annexation ; since by our mission labours they have been so far civilized as to render life and property comparatively safe on them ; and their spacious harbours so well supplied with fresh water, their rich volcanic soil, and their great sugar, coffee, cotton, maize, copra, fibre 5, spice, and other tropical product-producing powers, make them such rich prizes and wealth-yielding sources, that if Britain does not annex them, undoubtedly some other nation soon will annex them, and neither France nor any other nation has spent a farthing on them for their good, 331—E 2.