(No. 3.) . 1883. SESSION II. TASMAN I A. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. INTERCOLONIAL CONVENTION, 1883: REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS. Laid upon the Table by Mr. Moore, and ordered by the Council to be printed,. _18 December, l 883. - • I 1888. NEW SOUTH WALES. INTERCOLONIAL CONVENTION, 1883. REPQRT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERCOLONIAL. CONVENTION, . HELD IN SYDNEY, IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1883. 1. MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS. 2. CORRESPONDENCE LAID BEFORE THE CONVENTION. 3. P .A.PERS LAID BEFORE THE CONVENTION. f:lYDNEY : THO~AS RICHARDS, GOVERN~1ENT PRINTElt. 1883. * 831- ,_ MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE INTERCOLONIAL c·oNVENTION, 1'883) HELD IN SYDNEY, NOVEMBEBr-DEOEMBER, 1883. At the Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney. 28th NOVEMBER, 1883 . .(First Day.) THE undermentioned_ Gentlemen, Representatives of the Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia were present, and handed in their Commissions, which having been read, it was resolved that their substance should be published. New Sontli Wales: THE HoNORABLE ALEXANDER STUART, M.P., Premier ancl I Colonial Secretary. THE HoNORABLE GEORGE RICHARD DrnBs, M.P., Colonial Treasurer. THE HoNORABLE WILLIAM BEDE DALLEY, Q.C., M.L.C., A ttorney-_General. New Zeceland : THE HoNORABLE MAJOR HARRY ALmmT ATKINSON, M.P., Premier and Colonial Treasurer. THE HoNoRABLE ]'mmERICK WrrrTAKER, M.L.C., late Premier and Attorney-General. 'Queensland: TrrE HoNORABLE SAllIUEL WALKER GRIFr'ITIT, Q.C., M.P., Premier and Colonial Secretary. _ T1rn HoNORABLE JAMES FRANCIS GARRICK, Q.C., nf.L.C., Postmaster General. Soutli Australia : THE HoNoRABLE JOHN Cox BRAY, M.P., Premier and Chief Secretary. THE HoNORABLE J. W. DOWNER, Q.O., 1\1:.P., Attorney­ General. Tasmania: THE HoNORABLE WILLIAM ROBERT GIBLIN, nf.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. TnE HoNORABLE GEORGE BRISCOE KERFERD, M.P., Attorney-General. Western Australia: THE HoNORABLE MALCOLM FRASER, c.~I.G., Colonial Secretary. On the motion of the Honorable JAMES SERVICE, it was unanimously resolved that the Honorable ALEXANDER STUART be appointed President. - A communication from His Excellency Sir GEORGE WILLIAM DES Vmux, K.C.M.G., Governor of Fiji and Acting High Commissioner of the ·vv estern Pacific, on the subject of the representation of Fiji at the Conference, was read, and a resolution passed that the Conference would be glad, if Sir WILLIAM DEs V <EUX were so inclined, that he should take part in the proceedings of the Conference as representing Fiji. A communication to this effect was accordingly forwarded to Sir WILLIAM DES V <EUX, -who shortly afterwards took his seat in the Convention, and expressed his views as to his position there. 331-A A 2 A communication was read from Messrs. Leefe and Langton, claiming to have been appointed by­ the European portion of the community of Fiji, requesting to be permitted to present a Memorial, and to represent that Colony at the Convention. The consideration of the subject was deferred. Mr. DALLEY moved, That in all official references to their body the term Conference should 'be employed in lieu of Convention; but after some discussion, and: on its being pointed out that some of the commissions of members contained the word Convention, the motion was by leave withdrawn, and it was arra~ged the word Convention should be used.- JHr: SERVICE moved, "That the Press be adrnitted on-such occasions as from time to time this­ - Convention may determine," but afterwards withdrew the motion, ancl gave notice of it for the next day. Mn. Drnns proposed, and Mn. BR.A.Y seconded, the follow'ing motion, which was unanimously - adopted ::- 1. That in referring to the several Colonies represented in any proceedings of the·-Convention, the names be placed in alphabetical order. 2. That in the event of any Division upon a motion, the votes of the Colonies shall be taken, in lieu of the individual votes of their Representatives. · 3. That the Order of Debate be the same as.is observed in consideration of Questions in a Committee of the Whole House of Parliament, but that the Chairman have the same right as any other- member to take part in the discussion of any Questions. · 4:. That Mr. Alex. C. Budge be the Secretary to the Convention, and that he be required to keep Minutes of each day's proceedings·, which shall be printed and circulated. Mn. GRIFFITH moved, and it was resolved, "That the Minutes of each clay's proceedings be made. public by the Secretary." _ Mr. ST IT.A.RT laid before the Convention a letter from His Excellency Governor Des V reux-, of Fiji, to His Excellency Lord Augustus Loftus, covering a memorandum on the future of New Guinea and · Polynesia, with reference to the Question of Australasian Annexation or· Prote::torate. Ordered to be printed. Mr. BRAY moved, and it was unanimously resolved', That the Conference _meet daily at 10 o'clock, a.m., unless otherwise ordered. · Mr. GIBLIN laid before the Convention a letter· from Mr. Audley Coote, Hawaaian Consul, Hobart, Tasmania, protesting-against annexation of the various Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Ordered to be printed. _ l\fr; GIBLIN moved, Tliat. a Committee consisting. of Messrs. Ser.vice, Atkinson, and Griffith, be -appointed to examine the correspondence and other papers laid before the Convention, with a view to the printing of such po1n;ion as may be· considere<l necessary,.. · The Convention deliberated upon the order of their proceedings. Mn. SERVICE undertook to hand to the Secretary a draft of Resolutions to be submitted to the Convention emb.odying th~ views of the Representatives of Victoria. Mn. GRIFFITH handed to the Secretary a draft. of Resolutions embodying the views of the Repre­ - sentatives of Queensland. Ordered-that tli.e cfraft Resolutions be;printed' and circulated amongst members of the Convention. The Conventi?n· acljourned. at.~-p;m .. At the Colonial S.ecreta1·f s. Office, Sydney. 29tli_ NOVE11fBER, 1883'" (Second Day.) P1·esent. :- Fiji: His ExcELLENOY. Srn G. WrLLI.A.M DEs VCEux, K.C.M.G., Governor;of' Fiji and H.B.M.'s Acting High Commissio,ner for the Western Pacific. New-Soutli Wales·: TH-E HoNO'R.A:DLE ALEXA.NDER STu.:A.nT, M.P., Premier and Colonial Secretary; · THE HoNOR.A.IlLE· GEORGE· RICH.A.RD DIBns, M.P.; Colonial Treasurer. Tim HoNoRADLE WILLIAM BEDE DALLEY, Q.C., M.L.C., Attorney-General.. New Zealand: THE HoNOR.A.DLE MAJOR HARRY ALDERT .ATKINSON, M.P., . Premier and Colonial Treasurer. Tim HoNOR.A.DLE J!'hEDERICK. WHIT.AXER,.M:L.C., late Premier and Attorney-General'. TnE HoN0lll:llLE,S:&11IUEL WALKER. Gnmm:TK,. Q.O~, EE.,. Premier and Calonia1 Secretary,. ,,; TnE:HoNon.A.ni.E ,J..A.MEs,ER.A!Nors; G.ARnrcx; .. Q\0;,.M:L.0., · Postmaster General. So.utk 3 South .Australia : T1rn HoNOR.A.BLE JorrN Cox BRAY, JVI.P., Premier ancl Chief Secretary. - · TrrE HoNOR.A.BLE J. W. DOWNER, Q.C., M.P., .Attomey­ General. 'Tasmania: Tim HoNOR.A.BLE WrLLIA.M ROBERT GIBLIN, M.P., Premier and Attorney-General. TrrE HoNORA.BLE NrcnoL.A.S J. BROWN, M.P., Minister of Lands and Works. -Victoria: TnE HoNoR.A.BLE JAMES SERV!cE, .M.P., Premier and Colonial Treasurer. · TIIE HoNOR.A.BLE GRA.HA.M BERRY, M.P., Chief Secretary. TrrE HoNOR:A.BLE GEORGE BmscoE KERF.1mn, M.P., .Attorney-General. Western .Australici: ''.Drn HoNORABLE M.A.LUOLill :FR.A.SER, ·C.M.G., Colonial Secretary. The PRESIDENT drew attention to the letter of Messrs. Leefe and Langton, received 'by the Con­ -vention yesterday, and stated that having been addressed on this subject by Mr. Leefe, he had requested Mr. Dalley to advise him upon the subject, who had given an opinion, which the President read to the Convention. · ·Mr. BR.A:Y moved;- " That Messrs. Leefe and Langton ·be informed that the Memorial must be presented through a member of the Convention." Upon which an Amendment was moved by'Mr. WHIT.A.KER,-'Ihat all the words after the word ;<< informed" be omitted, with the view of inserting the following :- . "That they will be admitted to present the Memorial, but that the Convention at this stage is not. prepared to hear them in support of it." ' Q,uestion,-That the words proposed to be omitted stand part of the Questioi.1 . .Ayes. Noes. New South ,Vales, New Zealand, South .Australia, Queensland. Tasmania, Victoria, Western .Australia. ' The .Amendment was thererore lost. The Question was then put, as proposed by Mr. BR.A.Y, and carried. Upon the motion of JVIr. BR.A.Y, it was resolved,- · "That Messrs. Leefe and Langton be further informed that when the 'Memorial shall have been thus received, the Convention will consider whether .any further ·steps can be taken in regard thereto, and that its decision therein will be communicated to them." Mr. SERVICE, in pursuance of notice, moved,- " That the Press be admitted on such occasions as from time to time this Convention may determine." Mr. Drnns moved, as an .Amendment, "That all the-words after the word ·, That' be omitted, with the view of inserting the following :-[That] 'except by publication of the Minutes, the p1·oceedings be not made public during the. sitting of the Convention, without its sanction.' " Question put,-That the words proposed to be omitted stand ]_Jart of the Question. .Ayes. Noes. New Zealand. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland South Australia, Tasmania, Western .Australia. The .Amendment was then put and carried.