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At the Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney. ■kth DECEMBER, 1883. (Sixth Day.) Present: — Mji : His Excellency Sir G-. "William Dcs Vceux, K.C.M.G., Governor of Fiji and H.B.M.'s Acting High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. New South Wales : The Honorable Alexander Stuart, M.P., Premier and Colonial Secretary. The Honorable Geoege Richaed Dibbs, M.P., Colonial Treasurer. The Honorable "William Bede D alley, Q.C.,M.L.C, Attorney- General. New Zealand: The Honoeable Ma.toe Haeet Albert Atkinson, M.P., Premier and Colonial Treasurer. The Honoeable Frederick Whitaker, M.L.C., late Premier and Attorney-General. Queensland: The Honorable Samuel "Walker Griffith, Q.C., M.P., Premier and Colonial Secretary. The Honorable James Francis Garrick, Q.C., M.L.C., Postmaster-General. South Australia : The Honoeable John Cox Beat, M.P., Premier and Chief Secretary. The Honorable J. W. Downer, Q.C., M.P., Attorney-G-eneral. Tasmania : The Honorable "William Robert Giblin, M.P., Premier and Attorney-General. The Honorable Nicholas J. Brown, M.P., Minister of Lands and "Works. Victoria : The Honorable James Service, M.P., Premier and Colonial Treasurer. The Honorable Graham Berry, M.P., Chief Secretary. The Plonoeable George Briscoe Kerferd, M.P., Attorney-General. Western Australia: The Honoeable Malcolm Feasee, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary. The minutes having been read, the Convention proceeded to consider the Eesolutions of the Committee on the subject of the annexation of, or dealing with, the various islands ; also the amendments on the same subject proposed by Mr. Whitaker. The preamble was postponed. Resolution No. 1, as submitted by the Committee, was proposed, —"Whereupon Mr. Whitaker moved the following Amendment, which was carried, viz. : — 1. That further acquisition of dominion in the Western Pacific, south of the Equator, by any Foreign Power would be highly detrimental to -the safety and well-being of the British possessions in Australasia, and injurious to the interests of the Empire. Resolution No. 2, was then proposed, whereupon Mr. Wiiitakee moved the following amendment :— 2. That this Convention rospectfully suggests that its object may be effectually attained in respect of the islands not connected by treaty or otherwise with Foreign Powers, by a cession, annexation, or protectorate as may be most suitable in each case. A further amendment was proposed by Mr. Beeey, as follows: —■ 2. That this Convention refrains from suggesting the action by which effect can be given to the foregoing resolution, in the confident belief that the Imperial Government will promptly and wisely take the most efficient steps to secure the safety and contentment of this distant portion of the Empire. Mr. Whitaker, with the concurrence of the Convention, withdrew his proposed amendments Nos. 2 and 3. The amendment proposed by Mr. Beery was then put and carried. It was then moved that clause 2 of the Committee's Resolutions stand as No. 3 of the Resolutions of the Convention, which was carried with certain verbal amendments, viz.: — 3. That having regard to the geographical position of the Island of New Guinea, the rapid extension of British trade and enterprise in Torres Straits, the certainty that the island will shortly be the resort of many adventurous subjects of Great Britain and other nations, and the absence or inadequacy of any existing laws for regulating their relations with the native tribes, this Convention, while fully recognizing that the responsibility of extending the boundaries of the Empire