The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1883-06-04
THE ANNEXATION OF NEW GUINEA.


After the subject had been lost sight
of for. some time, it is suddenly
brought into prominence by the
action of a neighboring colony. A
telegram from. Brisbane, recently
published in our columns, stated
that "the Government of Queensland,
being thoroughly impressed with the
Importance of acquiring possession
of New Guinea, have urged the
Secretary of State formally to annex
New Guinea" the telegram proceed
ing to say that Queensland would
undertake to accept the responsibility
Of protecting the first settlers, and
maintaining law and order. This
question of annexation is no new one.
So far back as 1875, Mr.. (now Sir)
John Robertson recommended the
annexation of New Guinea, and also
of New Britain, New Ireland, and
of other islands lying to the east and
northeast of New Guinea. The re-
ply from Lord Carnarvon did not
show that he was at all adverse to
their annexation, but implied that
the whole matter was one of expense,
the proposal laying the burden of
cost upon England. So the matter
was allowed to lapse. When the
question was before him, Lord
Carnarvon spoke of the advantages
that would ascrue to the Australian
colonies in case of such step, and
and also Of the undesirabllity Of
New Guinea being taken possession
of and colonised by a power that at
some time might be hostile. The
attention of Australians has for
many years been directed northward
of our continent to that extensive
island, with its vast sweeping rivers,
its lofty mountain chains, its dense
forests, which are the home of rare
and beautiful-plumaged birds, and
in whose dark recesses are supposed
to be hidden the cedar and the
sandal-wood. But, greatest allure
ment of all, it is supposed to be rich
in mineral deposits. "The further
north you go in Queensland" say
experienced miners, ''the richer and
more extensive are the deposits of
gold; and when you shall have
crossed the channel worn by the
waters of Torres Straits, you will
find the deposits making again richer
than BEFORE That, at any rate, is
the diggers' dream, and hence lcng-
ing eyes have been cast to- land to
which distance very likely has lent
the spell OF an enchantment that can
only be broken by combat with reality.
1t was this golden dream that led
to the Inflated expedition by the
Maria, and to a subsequent expe-
dition that was more successful, but
failed to realise either the hope or
visions of it promoters. But what
of that? Does it necessarily follow
that there is no mineral. wealth in
New Guinea? Certainly not. For
how many years were some of our
rich goldfelds undiscovered and un-
explored, although possibly the
highways of commerce travcrsed
them, and men even camped above
their rich deposits, wanting the
wealth which unknown to them lay
in profusion beneath. So it may he
with New Guinea. But it is useless
specializing on the abstract or the
remote. The annexation of this
island has again cropped up, and
must be dealt with. Will it be dealt
with as the Queensland Government
desiresI If thel British Government
in 1875 was alive to the importance
Of its annexation, how much more
necessary has the step become at the
present time. The causes which led
to the annexation of Fiji-and they
became SO powerful that the British
Government had to bend to them
are In active operation in New
Guinea. Our traders are establish
ing themselves, our missionaries are
skirting the land, and in few years
will have made peaceful settlement
possible there, rs they have done in
Fiji, in Tonga, and in other islands
in the South Seas. England has
had to follow and protect the interests
Of her colonising people she has had
to follow her people sometimes even
to control them in their dealings
with these barbarous peoples, and
there is no doubt she will do SO
again, The time for the annexation
of New Guinea draws nigh, but we
hardly thing it will follow according
to the programme of the Queensland
Government. The advantages will
be Australasian, not of Queensland
a..l 4L;u Mill Ia ona of ilAasa