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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