River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-02-19
The Way England Conquers New
Worlds.

The London Times of Oct. 18th gives
this brief history of the way in which
one of England's Australian colonies
annexed" the great island of New
Guinea. 1t will be remembered that
the Queensland Government rather
suddenly realized the possibility that
some other European nation might take
possession of New Guinea, and thus,
besides commanding the navigation of
narrow straight of vital Importance to
the commerce of the colony, might be-
come q neIghbor socially no less than
politically Objectionable No sooner
was this unpleasant possibility brought
home to the Queenslanders than they
proceeded to avert tho danger by TAX
ing possession of the New Guinea coast
on their own account, Their action
was marked by an almost sublime SIM
plicity. The Police Magistrate of
Thursday Island was ordered to go
to New Guinea and declare it
annexed He did 50 and a colony
whose whole population would only
make a third rate English town, Became
the owner of territory beyond sea two
or three times as large as Great Britain.
The colonial Office was asked to rec
ognize this addition 10 the British En-
pire, and its orderly official ideas were
considerably upset by the request. Had
Queensland stood alone we do not know
what might have been lord Derby's
reply; but it very speedily became clear
that the question was one on which the
whole of our Australian colonies felt
strongly. The action of Queensland
was received with enthusiasm by the
other colonies, which did not shrink
from sharing the moral and financial
responsibility Lord Derby suggested
that before adding in this way to the
area of the empire they ought
to confederate and jointly defray
at least a portion of the eX-
pense. The challenge was instantly
taken up, and the money-Gl3 600
a wear estimated to be required for the
Australian portion of the enterprise was
promptly guaranteed, and would have
been forthcoming, such was the tempt
er of the Colonies, had it been many
times rs much. Common action on
this isolated question has started gen
eral movement for confederation. There
are difficulties to be overcome, not the
least of which is the jealousy subsisting
between Victoria and New South Wales
and the consequent reluctance of the
latter to pass the Federation Bill which
has been agreed to by all the other Col
onial Legislatures, but the idea IS
fruitful one, and every advance made
bv the colonies will add t. the import
anbe of combination, at least for
purposes of external defense. At the
end of last session Mr.. Gladstone
was pressed to introduce short bill
simply enabling the colonies, or any
4 four of them. to confederate II so DIS
posed. He declined to do so unless as
sured that the Conservatives would not
oppose it, on the ground that it was
too late to introduce new content lous
matter, while to introduce and then
withdraw such bill would hardly be
respectful to the Australians. The
Conservatives refused to promise their
aid, and the bill was not introduced.
The Victorian Government eXpostulat-
ed with Sir Stafford Northcote on the
subject, but the mischief was done; and
as the franchise is likely TO occupy the
whole of the autumn session, the col
onies will have to wait till next year for
permission to do what this country
ought to miss no opportunity of en-
couraging them to effect.