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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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to the next Census of the British Empire, as they apprehend that the subject may perhaps come under discussion at the approaching Conference of Colonial Delegates.

I have, &c.,

Secretary.

(Signed) J. S. O'HALLORAN, The President of the Imperial Colonial Conference. Colonial Office, Downing Street, S. W.

Enclosure.

COPY of a RESOLUTION passed by the COUNCIL of the ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE at a Meeting held on Tuesday, February 1, 1887.

"The Council of the Royal Colonial Institute deem it desirable that whenever it is decided to take the next Census of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Government and the several Governments of Colonies should consider and endeavour to make arrangements for having the Census of the whole Empire taken on one and the same day, and as far as practicable in the same form."

SIR,

IMPERIAL FEDERATION LEAGUE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Imperial Federation League,

43, St. Margaret's Offices, Victoria Street, S.W.,

March 26, 1887.

I AM directed by the Executive Committee of the Imperial Federation League to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th of February, and to thank you for communicating to them a copy of the letter which the Registrar-General has written upon the subject of the proposal for taking an Imperial Census in 1891.

The Executive Committee is unwilling at the present inconvenient season to occupy more of your time than to point out that the objections of the Registrar-General are applicable rather to the proposals of the Registrar-General for Ireland than to those of the Executive Committee, which never contemplated a precise uniformity in the Censuses of the different parts of the Empire, and which specially guarded against any attempt, or appearance of attempting, to impose such uniformity upon the several Colonies and Dependencies.

The Executive Committee hope at a future time to be able to submit proposals which will not be open to the objections suggested by the Registrar-General.

I have, &c., The Right Hon.

(Signed) ARTHUR H. LORING, Sir Henry T. Holland, Bart.; G.C.M.G., M.P.,

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 54.

Secretary.

PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE TITLES OF HER MAJESTY.

MEMORANDUM BY THE PRESIDENT.

A QUESTION has been placed on the paper of the House of Commons by Mr. Howard Vincent for the 19th May

"To ask the First Lord of the Treasury if Her Majesty's Government will consider, in connexion with the forthcoming Jubilee rejoicings, and in concert with Colonial governments, the desirability of advising the Crown to recognise the progress made during the 50 years of Her Majesty's reign, by Canada, Australasia, South Africa, and many of the Colonies founded by the British people, by such further extension of the Royal titles as may place other portions of the Empire on an equality in this respect with Great Britain, Ireland, and India."

Her Majesty's Government would be glad to learn the opinion of the delegates, and, if it is possible, the views of their respective governments, upon this subject of extension

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of the Royal titles. I may rewind you that this question received consideration dung the debate in 1876 upon the Royal Titles Bill; and it may be convenient to refer you to Hansard's Debates, Vols. ccxxvii. and cexxviii. (new series), and to pp. 416, 125, 426, and 1,726 of the former volume, and pp. 81, 82, 146, and 152 of the latter volume.

A further question, but which is one of detail, would require consideration, namely, as to the form which the extension should take without making the title too cumbrous. Upon this I would only refer to the terms of the Proclamation of 1858, where Her Majesty was styled “Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the Colonies and Dependencies thereof."

It would perhaps be possible to favour Her Majesty's Government with replies to this paper on Friday next.

May 1887,

H. T. HOLLAND.

SECTION VI.-PACIFIC ISLANDS.

No. 55.

NEW HEBRIDES.

COLONIAL OFFice MemorandUM.

IN January 1878, the French arabassador at this Court drew the attention of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to certain articles which had appeared a short time previously in the Australian Press advocating the annexation of the New Hebrides to the British Crown, with the view of forestalling any action which might be taken by the French Government in that direction.

Comte d'Harcourt stated that, without attaching much importance to this movement, his Government felt bound to declare that they had no intention of interfering with the independence of the group, and added that they would be glad to be informed whether Her Majesty's Government were equally disposed to respect that independence.

The reply of Her Majesty's Government was to the effect that they had no intention of proposing any measures to Parliament with the view of changing the condition of independence enjoyed by the group.

This correspondence was sent to the Governors of the Australasian Colonies, and forms the understanding, (often referred to and expressly renewed in 1883, by the exchange of Notes Verbales,) on which Her Majesty's Government have relied when- ever any apprehensions have arisen in Australia or elsewhere, owing to the attitude assumed by the French Colonial Press, or the movements of French vessels of war.

In January 1886 the French Government inquired whether Her Majesty's Govern- ment would consent to waive their objection to the establishment of French sovereignty in the New Hebrides, if the French Government would pledge themselves not to send any more convicts to any place in the Pacific. Having regard to the strong prótests of the Australasian Colonies against the continuance of transportation, Her Majesty's Government felt that this proposal deserved serious consideration, especially if the French Government should also be willing to cede the island of Rapa; but in view of the repeated assurances given to the Colonies to the effect that the understanding arrived at by the two Governments would be maintained, Her Majesty's Government felt themselves precluded from entertaining any such proposal without first consulting the Colonial Governments. The Colonies were consulted, and objected to i the proposal, which has consequently lapsed.

In June 1886, Her Majesty's Government received telegrams from Australia reporting that French vessels had left New Caledonia for the New Hebrides with troops, provisions, and materials for barracks.

On reference being made to the French Government, it was explained by M. de Freycinet that, in consequence of outrages committed by the natives of the New Hebrides upon French subjects engaged in working for a French company, which had

appealed for protection to the Governor of New Caledonia, it had become necessary to send two ships with troops. These were intended to proceed to the localities in which Frenchmen were in danger, and, if necessary, to land troops and retain them there until the danger should be past and tranquility restored.

It was stated that this intelligence had been telegraphed by the Governor of New Caledonia to the French Minister of Marine.

M. de Freycinet added that possibly a temporary post might be established nutil calm should be restored, but that the measures adopted were without any political significance, and he stated explicitly that there was no question whatever of occupying Cc 4