PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
midnimic.O. 885/5 LONDON
248
7. I shall, of course, make this claim as equally binding on the Government of Queensland, and as it is possible that you may wish to communicate with that Govern- ment before coming to a final decision I have to request that your reply may be addressed
to me at Brisbane.
His Excellency Sir Henry Loch, K.C.B., &c.
&c.
&c.*
Enclosure 2 in 27.
I have &c.
(Signed)
JOHN DOUGLAS, Special Commissioner.
MEMORANDUM for his EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
THE Premier presents his duty to the Governor and has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of his Excellency's Memorandum of the 1st instant enclosing a communica tion from his Excellency the Special Commissioner for British New Guinea respecting the deficiency resulting from the fact of South Australia discontinuing to pay its share of the annual contribution of 15,000/. towards the expenses of the New Guinea Protectorate.
Mr. Gillies begs to point out that his Excellency the Special Commissioner appears to be under a misapprehension as to the liability of this Government and of the Govern- ment of Queensland to make good under present circumstances the subsidy of 15,000/.
The facts of the case will be clearly seen, however, if reference be made to the correspondence on the subject. In the Despatch of the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies of 9 May 1884, Lord Derby said that Her Majesty's Govern- ment would be prepared to establish a Protectorate in New Guinea " if one or more Colonics" would" secure to Her Majesty's Government the payment of a sum of (say)
15,000. during the year ending 1st June 1885."
L
It was on this Despatch that the Premier of the day, the Honourable James Service, wrote his Memorandum of the 3rd July 1884 to his Excellency the Administrator of the Government stating that, with the exception of New Zealand, the Governments of all the Colonies had consented to provide their respective proportions of the sum of 15,000. required, and that meanwhile the Governments of Victeria and Queensland would give the guarantee asked for. The guarantee therefore had relation specifically to the year ending 1st June 1885, and the idea that it had any further continuation has not heretofore been broached. It is, Mr. Gillies has no doubt, a misapprehension.
With reference to the Special Commissioner's Despatch of the 25th ultimo to the Governor, Mr. Gillies begs to point out that, as regards the present arrangement for the payment of the New Guinea contribution, the proportionate payments by this Govern. ment have always been made about the end of the period to which they relate, viz:-
For the year ending June 1885, on 12th May 1885.
For the year ending June 1896, on 22nd March 1886.
For the half year ending December 1886, on 15th January 1887.
-
If it will be of any service to his Excellency the Special Commissioner in conducting the New Guinea Commission, Mr. Gillies has no objection to state that the remaining moiety of this Colony's contribution, viz., 2,3467. 14s. 4d. will be paid over in whatever [form] his Excellency may desire, certainly before 1st June 1887.
The Despatches from the Special Commissioner are returned herewith. Premier's Office, Melbourne,
(Signed)
7th February 1887.
D. GILLIES,
Premier.
249
No. 59.
DRAFT of a BILL to make Provision for the Indemnification by the COLONY OF QUEENSLAND of Her Majesty's Imperial Government against the EXPENSES of the GOVERNMENT of BRITISH NEW GUINEA.
MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,
(First Draft.)
WHEREAS the Governments of your Majesty's Australasian Colonies have requested your Majesty to assume sovereignty over the territory comprising those portions of New Guinea and the adjacent islands which are now under your Majesty's Royal protection, and to make provision for the administration of the government of that territory in accordance with certain proposals agreed to by your Majesty's Imperial Government and the Governments of the Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, which proposals are set forth in the schedule to this Act: And whereas your Majesty's Australasian Colonies cheerfully recognize and acknowledge the obligation to indemnify your Majesty's Imperial Government against the necessary cost of the administration of the government of the said territory, in accordance with the conditions of the said proposals or such other conditions as may be mutually agreed to by your Majesty's Imperial Government and the Governments of the said Colonies, and it has been agreed that the Colony of Queensland on their behalf shall formally recognize and give effect to such obligation: And whereas your Majesty's Imperial Government have agreed with the Governments of the said Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland that, upon satisfactory provision being made to give effect to the aforesaid obligation, they will advise your Majesty to assume sovereignty over the said territory: And whereas, in order to give effect to the said proposals, and to make provision for defraying the necessary cost of the administration of the govern- ment of the said territory upon such assumption of sovereignty, we, your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, have resolved to grant to your Majesty the sums hereinafter stated and for the purposes hereinafter expressed. Be it enacted, &c. :-
1. This Act shall commence and take effect so soon as Her Majesty shall have Commence- assumed sovereignty over the territory aforesaid, and such assumption of sovereignty ment of Act. shall have been proclaimed in the Colony of Queensland.
15,000l.
2. There shall be issued and paid to Her Majesty, out of the consolidated revenue of Appropria- Queensland, in each of the ten years next succeeding the commencement of this Act, tion of a sum not exceeding 15,000, for and in respect of the necessary expenses of the adminis- annually for tration of the government of the said territory in accordance with the conditions of the ten years. aforesaid proposals, or with such other conditions as may be mutually agreed to by your Majesty's Imperial Government and the Government of the Colony of Queensland.
3. The Colonial Treasurer shall issue and pay the amount of such contribution to such person and in such manner as the Governor by any warrant or order under his hand shall direct.
4. The Colonial Treasurer shall, in his accounts, from time to time, be allowed credit for any sum or sums of money paid by him in pursuance of any such warrant or order, and the receipt or receipts of the person to whom the same shall be so paid shall be a full and valid discharge to him in passing his accounts for any such sum or sums as shall be therein mentioned, und he shall receive credit for the same accordingly.
5. This Act may be cited as "The British New Guinea (Queensland) Act of 1887."
SCHEDULE.
PROPOSALS for the ADMINISTRATION OF BRITISH NEW GUINEA.
1. THE Colony of Queensland to undertake by a special Act to defray the cost of the administration of the government of British New Guinea to an extent not exceeding 15,000l. per annum for the term of ten years, subject to the following conditions :-
2. The Colonies of New South Wales and Victoria to undertake by similar Acts to bear equally with Queensland any amount which the latter Colony may be called upon to pay under Article 1, so that each Colony shall be liable for one-third of the whole expenditure to an extent not exceeding 5,0001.
3. Any contributions made by the Governments of any of the other Australasian Colonies to be applied in reduction of the amount which the Colonies may be called upon to pay under Articles 1 and 2.
0 0 2
Short title.