CONFEDERATION AND ANNEXATION. (CORRESPONDENCE AS TO HOLDING AN INTERCOLONIAL CONFERENCE OR CONVENTION.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1884 Session I, A-03a

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1884. NEW ZEALAND.

CONFEDERATION AND ANNEXATION. (CORRESPONDENCE AS TO HOLDING AN INTERCOLONIAL CONFERENCE OR CONVENTION.)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Peemiee, Queensland, to the Colonial Seceetaet, New Zealand. Sie, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Brisbane, 17th July, 1883. I have the honour to forward to you the enclosed copy of an extract from the minutes of the proceedings of the Executive Council of this Colony, of this date, embodying a memorandum by myself, on the refusal of the Imperial Government to confirm the recent annexation of the Island of New Guinea; and to request that you will be good enough to favour me with the views of your Government thereupon, and to take such steps as you may consider necessary to move the Imperial Government to an early reconsideration of their decision against the annexation of this valuable territory. I have, &c. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. Thomas Mcllweaith.

See A.-3, p. 67, Appendix B.

No. 2. The Pbemieb, New Zealand, to the Peemieb, Queensland. Hon. Peemiee, Brisbane. New Zealand Government opinion that pressing annexation of all New Guinea cannot succeed: but that the portion opposite Australia should be annexed Queensland. New Zealand will send delegate proposed Conference, Melbourne. Peed. Whitakee, Premier. Wellington, August 23rd.

No. 3. The Peemiee, Victoria, to the Peemiee, New Zealand. Hon. the Peemiee, Wellington. I have been requested by Sir Thomas Mcllwraith to act as Convener of proposed Convention of Delegates re Annexation and Federation. Other Colonies have consented except Tasmania, which will probably join. Am now awaiting your reply. When may your decision be expected? James Seevice, Premier. Melbourne, August 17th.

No. 4. The Pbemieb, New Zealand, to the Peemiee, Victoria. Hon. Peemiee, Melbourne. New Zealand will join other Colonies in Conference on Annexation, but cannot- send delegate until prorogation Parliament now sitting, probably about fortnight hence. Feed. Whitakee, Premier. Wellington, August 23rd.

Note. —Other preliminary correspondence is printed in A.-3, commencing at p. 49. For " Commissions of the several Representatives," see A.--3, p. 45.

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No. 5. The Peemiee, Victoria, to the Pbemiee, New Zealand. The Pbemiee, Wellington, Circular respecting Convention proposed by Queensland. Am sending letter per post. Now telegraph purport, to save time. At Sir Thomas Mcllwraith's special request, have consented to act as Convener. Desire to consult your convenience as to date ; my own suggestion being, to meet Melbourne, 25th September. Occasion being more important than previous Conferences, suggest that each Colony send four delegates, but this optional. James Sebvige, Premier. Melbourne, August 24th.

No. 6. The Pbemiek, Victoria, to the Peemiee, New Zealand. Sie, — Premier's Office, Melbourne, 25th August, 1883. With reference to Sir Thomas Mcllwraith's circular letter, enclosing a minute of the Executive Council of Queensland, in which it is proposed that some concerted action should Jae taken, consequent on the refusal of the Imperial Government to annex New Guinea, and that a Convention of Delegates from the Colonies should be held " to discuss the basis on which a Federal Government could be constituted," I have the honour to inform you that, at the special request of Sir Thomas Mcllwraith, Premier of Queensland, I have consented to act in the capacity of Convener of the proposed assembly of delegates. Having learned that all the Colonies have replied to Sir Thomas Mcllwraith's circular, I now write with a view to ascertain what date would best suit the convenience of the various Colonies ; and, as a means of eliciting this, I beg to communicate my own suggestion, that the Convention should meet in Melbourne at a period in the ensuing month, say on the 25th proximo. According to the information before me as to the sittings of the Parliaments in the different Colonies, this period would, for the convenience of the majority, be the most suitable, at least of any period within a reasonable time. I beg also to suggest the desirability of giving this Convention a higher status than that of the Intercolonial Conferences hitherto held to discuss comparatively subordinate topics; and with this view I propose that the number of delegates should be four from each Colony, and that these delegates should be of as generally representative a character as possible, of course any one Colony having the option of sending a less number, if that should be more convenient. I propose sending a telegram to anticipate the arrival of this letter, in order to facilitate the despatch of an early reply. I shall be obliged if you will similarly communicate by telegraph your answer. I have, &c. The Hon. the Premier, Wellington, N.Z. . James Service, Premier.

No. 7. The Peemiee, New Zealand, to the Peemiee, Victoria. Hon. Peemiee, Melbourne. Thanks for telegram. September 25th will suit our convenience. New Zealand will send two delegates. Feed. Whitakee, Premier. Wellington, August 25th.

No. 8. The Pbemieb, Victoria, to the Peemiee, New Zealand. Sie, — Premier's Office, Melbourne, 11th September, 1883. My circular letter of the 25th of August was written with a view to ascertain what date would best suit the various Australasian Colonies, for the meeting of the Convention which Sir Thomas Mcllwraith, the Premier of Queensland, proposed should be held to discuss the two questions of the Annexation of adjacent Islands, and the Federation of the Australasian Colonies. I have been since that date in constant telegraphic correspondence on this subject with the different Australasian Governments, and the result is, as already announced to you by my telegram of the 7th instant, that on collating the advices from the different Colonies, I am enabled to name the last week in November as the time most convenient for the meeting of the proposed Convention. My telegram of the 7th instant will also have informed you that to meet the convenience of the Sydney Government, who could not name any day on which it would be convenient for them to send delegates to Melbourne, I had suggested that Sydney should be the meeting place. This has accordingly been arranged. The precise date for the meeting of the Convention will be announced later on. I beg now formally to invite your Government to appoint delegates to represent your Colony. I find a slight difference of opinion amongst the Colonial Governments as to the number of delegates which should be appointed, some proposing four, some two. In my letter of the 25th August, I suggested that each Colony should send four delegates. My reason for this was, that on so important an occasion, it seemed desirable that the delegation from each Colony should be thoroughly and fairly representative, not only of that party which may be at present in power, but of all parties.

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A precedent for this is found in the history of the formation of the Dominion of Canada, on which occasion parties and party leaders who had been long opposed, coalesced for the purpose of forming that Federal Government which has so much enhanced the prosperity and importance of the Colonies united under it. In view of the attention which this movement has received from the Imperial Government, as well as from the English Press and people, it seems to me especially desirable, that the importance of the present occasion should not be under-estimated,, and I .feel that it would add greatly to the weight of the Convention's determinations, if it were made a thoroughly representative body. It is of course a question for each Colony to decide how many delegates it will send. I have, &c. James Service, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington, New Zealand. Premier. i iimi ♦ „

No. 9. The Peemiee, Victoria, to the Pbemieb, New Zealand. Ee Annexation of Adjacent Islands and Federation of Australasian Colonies. Sie, —■ Premier's Office, Melbourne, Bth October, 1883. Eeferring to my letter of the 11th September, naming the last week in November as the time for the meeting of the Convention agreed to be held in Sydney on this subject, I now have the honour to announce Wednesday, the 28th November, as the day for the meeting of the Convention. My telegram of the 6th instant, to this effect, you will, doubtless, have already received. I have, &c. James Service, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. Premier.

No. 10. The Pbemieb, New Zealand, to the Pbemieb, Victoria. Sir,— Premier's Office, Wellington, October 22nd, 1883. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram naming Wednesday, the 28th November, for the meeting, in Sydney, of the proposed Conference on Annexation and Confederation ; and also the receipt of your circular letter of the Bth instant, confirming that telegram. The Hon. Frederick Whitaker, M.L.C. (late Premier of the Colony) and myself have been requested by the Cabinet to represent New Zealand at the Conference, and we purpose reaching Sydney on or before the 28th November. I have, &c. The Hon. the Premier, Victoria. H. A. Atkinson.

No. 11. The Pbemieb to His Excellency Sir W. F. D. Jekvois. Memorandum for His Excellency. The Premier presents his respectful compliments to the Governor. The Governments of Australasia having had under consideration the advisability of taking ac tion with a view of promoting the Annexation of certain Islands of the Pacific, and a Confederation of the Colonies, it has been determined to hold, in Sydney, a Conference respecting those questions. The Cabinet have agreed to ask the Hon. Mr. Whitaker to act as one of the representatives of the New Zealand Government; and it has also been agreed that (should His Excellency see no objection) the Premier should himself go as the second representative. Wellington, 11th November, 1883. H. A. Atkinson.

By Authority: George Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB4.