CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1135
taining order throughout the Western Pacific Islands by
the establishment of a High Commission under the Pacific
Islanders Protection Acts of 1872 (c. 19) and 1875 (c. 50).
As regards foreign annexation, the United States and Ger-
many were then not prepared to make any annexations,
and accordingly he considered that the time had not yet
come for any annexation to take place.
On the whole, Lord Carnarvon’s views appear to have
received considerable approval in the Colonies at the time.
It was recognized both by the Sydney Morning Herald, the
Sydney Mail, and the Argus, that a request for annexation
without readiness to bear any cost was hardly legitimate.
The Government of Victoria, after careful consideration,
thought that it was a matter for Imperial consideration,
that it did not press for immediate settlement, and that the
Parliament of Victoria would not be willing to make an
appropriation of Colonial funds in favour of the expenditure.
The Government of New Zealand were more ready to make
a contribution. Sir Julius Vogel thought it was a new
feature, but held that a great deal of weight might be
attached to the view that the Imperial Government have the
right to consider that advice voluntarily given by the Colonies,
unsupported by any assistance, was, to say the least, not en-
titled to much consideration if it be made on the ground only
of Imperial concern. He recognized with great satisfaction
the annexation of Fiji, and he held that if any request for
further annexations were made, as in the case of the Navi-
gator Islands, pecuniary assistance should be offered, with,
of course, the consent of the Parliament of New Zealand.
He expressed his readiness to communicate with the
Australian Colonies with a view to securing concerted
action, but he admitted that such action was very
improbable.
The matter remained more or less quiescent until 1883,
when anxiety as to foreign movements caused a strong
demand to be expressed in Australia for annexation. Steps
were actually taken by the Government of Queensland to
annex a portion of New Guinea without authority from
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