A.—l.

" ' from falling under any foreign dominion; at the same time, the Convention " ' trusts that Her Majesty's Government will avail itself of any opportunity that " ' may arise for negotiating with the Government of France with the object of " ' obtaining the control of those islands in the interests of Australasia : " ' (5.) That the Governments represented at this Convention undertake to " ' submit and recommend to their respective Legislatures measures of permanent " ' appropriation for defraying, in proportion to population, such share of the cost " ' incurred in giving effect to the foregoing resolutions as Her Majesty's Govern- " ' ment, having regard to the relative importance of Imperial and Australasian " ' interests, may deem fair and reasonable : " ' (6.) That the Convention protests in the strongest manner against the de- " ' clared intention of the Government of France to transport large numbers of " ' relapsed criminals to the French possessions in the Pacific, and urges Her " ' Majesty's Government to use every means in its power to prevent the " ' adoption of a course so disastrous to the interests of Australasia and the " ' Pacific Islands : " ' (7.) That the Convention expresses a confident hope that no penal settle- " ' ment for the reception of European criminals will long continue to exist in the " ' Pacific, and invites Her Majesty's Government to make to the Government " ' of France such serious representations on this subject as may be deemed ex- " ' pedient:' " And whereas at the said Convention a draft Bill to constitute a Federal " Council of Australasia was also agreed to : And whereas, in pursuance of the " undertaking given by the delegates from the Colony of New Zealand, it is " desirable that the resolutions of the said Convention should be submitted to " this Legislature : " This Council resolves, ■ — " That it agrees generally with the resolutions of the said Convention ; but, " in order that its views may be specifically expressed, it resolves as follows :— " (a.) That it approves of the steps taken by the British Government for the " establishment of its rule over New Guinea, and hopes that like measures will " be taken for a protectorate over the islands of the Pacific Ocean not under " the dominion of any stable Government. " (b.) That this colony is willing to pay, in proportion to its population, a " share of the sum of £15,000 proposed by the Imperial Government. " (c.) That it desires respectfully to protest against the transportation of " criminals to the French possessions in the Pacific. " (d.) That it requests the British Government to make such representations " to the European Powers as will prevent the maintenance of penal establishments " in any of the Pacific Islands. " (e.) That the establishment of such a Federal Council as is proposed in the " Convention's draft Bill is premature. " (f.) That, so far as the Bill aims at enabling the colonies to jointly initiate " legislation on questions of common interest and importance to the several " colonies, it has the cordial support of this Council. " (g.) That, to place the proposed measure in accordance with these opinions, " it will be necessary to vary the Bill so as to provide—First, that the Federal " Council shall not make representations to the Imperial Government direct, but "to the several Colonial Governments; second, that any measure it initiates shall " not have any force within any colony, nor affect any colony, until it is adopted " by the Legislature of such colony." 8. In the Legislative Council the subject was thoroughly discussed, and the resolutions were amended by striking out (f) and (g) and adding the following words to (e) : "so far as New Zealand is concerned, the geographical position "of New Zealand requiring that the federal connection between New Zealand and " Australia should be less close than that between the various Australian " Colonies." 9. In theplouse of Representatives, however, the discussion did not come on till the evening of Saturday, the Bth November, when several members had

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