PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O.
Reference :-
8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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MY LORD,
214
Enclosure in 4.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney,
July 22, 1885.
I HAVE the honour to enclose herewith twelve copies of a Minute, of date the 20th instant, expressing the views of your Excellency's advisers on the subject of this Colony's contribution towards the cost of maintaining the Protectorate of New Guinea.
2. I have communicated this Minute to the Governments of the several Australasian Colonies, including those of New Zealand and Fiji, and also to Major-General Sir Peter Scratchley; and I have the honour to request that you will be pleased to communicate it to the Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, for the information of the Imperial Government.
His Excellency the Right Hon.
the Lord Augustus Loftus, G.C.B., P.C.,
&c.
&c.
&c.
I have, &c., (Signed)
ALEX. STUART.
CONTRIBUTION to NEW GUINEA PROTECTORATE,
July 20, 1885.
This Government having had under consideration the above subject, and General Sir Peter Scratchley's request to know whether this Government will continue its contribution, I have now to state-
1st. That this Government paid its first year's contribution, 4,0847. 148. 4d., on the
22nd May last.
2nd. This Government has always understood that the Imperial Government was to pay a portion of the expense. At the Convention it was generally understood that the Imperial contribution would not be less than half, for it was clearly pointed out that the strategic importance of securing the southern shores of New Guinea was as much, if not more, an Imperial than a Colonial advantage; for the ships navigating Torres Straits were, both in number and in tonnage, representative far more of British than of Colonial capital. The Convention did not consider that it would be courteous to dictate what portion the Imperial Government should pay, but preferred leaving it to the Imperial Government to state what portion, in its opinion, the Colonies ought to bear; and thus it was that the fifth resolution was adopted, by which the various Governments represented "undertook to submit and recom- mend to their various Legislatures measures of permanent appropriation for defraying, in proportion to population, such share of the cost incurred as Her Majesty's Government, having regard to the relative importance of Imperial and Australasian interests, may deem fair and reasonable." Australasian Colonies would be to ignore the resolution of the Convention, unless To cast the whole cost upon the the Imperial Government were prepared to advance. the doctrine that Imperial interests are not concerned in this matter.
3rd. Under these circumstances, all that this Government can do is to recommend to Parliament that a permanent appropriation shall be made of its share according to population, to the extent of 15,000/. for the whole of the Colonies, so soon as the Imperial Government shall have intimated the extent to which it is prepared to bear the common burden.
ALEX. STUART.
SIR P. H. SCRATCHLEY, K.C.M.G. (NEW GUINEA), to the RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF DERBY, K.G. (Received September 7, 1885.)
Mr LORD,
REFERRING to my Despatch of the 28th May last, I have the honour to
Melbourne, July 19, 1885. inform your Lordship that I have received the under-mentioned amounts from the
215
Australasian Governments, as their contributions towards the cost of the New Guine Government for the year ending 1st June 1885.
Queensland
New South Wales Victoria
South Australia
New Zealand Tasmania Fiji
Total
-
£ S d. 1,500 0 0 4.084 14 4
4.693 8
8
1,524 11
2.66 18
600 ง 0
100 0 ()
15,171 13 4
2. The several amounts have been paid into the Queensland National Bank at Brisbane to the credit of the account of Her Majesty's Special Commissioner.
3. I should explain that the Government of Queensland has paid in 1,500. instead of 1,1637. 3s. 9d., which latter amount represents the quota due from that Colony according to the census of 1881.
4. Mr. Griffith considers that the proportions should be calculated according to the estimated population at the close of the year 1884.
5. I have agreed to leave this question for future adjustment between Mr. Griffith and the other Premiers.
6. When at Brisbane I consulted the Auditor-General on the subject of the best system for keeping my accounts, and I have ordered forms and books to be printed similar to those in use by the Government of Queensland.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Derby, K.G.,
&c.
&c.
SIB,
&c.
6.
I have, &c. (Signed)
P. H. SCRATCHLEY,
GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS, G.C.M.G., C.B. (NEW ZEALAND), tʊ Colonel THE RIGHT HON. F. A. STANLEY, M.P. (Received October 23, 1885.)
Government House, Wellington, September 12, 1885.
WITH reference to your telegram,* received by me through, the Governor of South Australia on the 17th ultimo, concerning New Guinea, I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a memorandum from my Ministers, stating that after again consider- ing the subject, they feel unable to make any further proposals than those contained in their memorandum of the 7th July last, which I forwarded in my Despatch of the 18th July.
2. It will be observed that the proposals of my Ministers, which I had forwarded previously to the receipt of your telegram,—but which have not yet been decided upon by the New Zealand Parliament,--coincide in the main with those of Her Majesty's Government.
I have, &c.
(Signed) W. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
The Right Hon. Colonel Stanley, M.P.
&c.
&c.
&c.
* No. 150 in [C.—4584], August 1885.
• Not printed.
A
514 31.
K k
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Enclosure in 6.