THE COLONIAL OFFICE AND NEW GUINEA.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1523, 4 January 1879, Page 3

THE COLONIAL OFFICE AND NEW GUINEA.

[“ Australasian.”] The Colonial-office is rushing blindly on its doom. Some months ago, when Sir Arthur Gordon was in Melbourne, he was favored with a visit from Mr Dods and other patriotic representatives of the notable project of annexing New Guinea and a con siderable region of Polynesia to Victoria. On that occasion Sir Arthur Gordon ventured to impart some painful home trnths, conjoined with some impressive cautions, to Mr Dods, and told him that if any adventurers went to set up any rival jurisdiction in the islands over which his authority as Her Majesty’s High Commissioner extended, he should remove them, as he was provided with ample powers for so doing. The interest in New Guinea colonisation has rather waned of late, and it is hardly likely that Sir Arthur Gordon will find it necessary to use his power against an influx of colonists to thut interesting island for some time to come. But the recent mail has brought a despatch from the Colonial-office, giving the thorough approval of the Imperial Government to the course taken by His Excellency. Doubtless Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, when he forwarded shis approval, thought that he only had to do with the conduct of an officer of the Imperial Government. In this, however, he makes a serious mistake, as his approval of Sir Arthur Gordon is not only a constructive snub for such men as Mr Dods, Mr L. L. Smith, and Mr Jeremiah Dwyer, but is a decided affront to Mr Berry. When those Parliamentary gentlemen introduced Mr Dods to Mr Berry in a deputation on the subject, our bold Premier said, in talking the matter over with Sir A. Gordon, he had given that gentleman to understand that he must mind what he was about. He (Mr Berry) was not going to stand idly by and see Australian citizens jeopardised, and their lives in peril. He assured his Excellency “ that if a largo number of Victorians went there it would be necessary to establish something like law and order to protect the lives of these men, and that if he (Sir Arthur Gordon) neglected to take the necessary steps this colony should notfail to do so.” All this Mr Berry told the deputation—some time after Sir Arthur Gordon had left the colony. And now the Colonial Office assumes to itself to compliment that high official for behaving with what we may venture to call disrespect to enterprising Victorian citizens and their Chief, But let the tyrants tremble. The swift ship will soon bo cleaving the ocean, bearing our proud Premier aad his political valet, who will not bo content till they have put to rights this, as well as several other little matters, and made affronts of this kind from the minions of despotism to the representative of the Sovereign people of Victoria impossible for evermore.