Tue Australian newspapers that have just come to hand tell us very little of the reasons which led the Premier of Qacouslnnd to annex Now Guinen. Pho actual process was, as one of them says, simple enough. A magistrate on an outlying island called Thursday sniled across to New Guinea, and took formal possession on behalf of Her Majesty in the presence of thirteen Europeans and some two handred natives, The proclamation which be rond upon hoisting the Union Jack ut Port Moresby says that he, acting under instructions from the Govern. ment of Queensland, took possession of all that portion of New Guinea and the islands and isles adjacent thereto, lying between the 141st and 155th Meridian of Enst Longitude in the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty. And having done this the magistrate returned forthwith to Cook-town, where he appears to have brought the first ness of this bold political action. Sir Thomas MelI!wraith, the Premier of Qacensland, bad given the public no inkling of his intentions, He bad been on a visit to his constituents during the parliamentary recess, aud had spoken to them of a great many public matters; but not of New Gun His notion had received no authority from his own parliament, but it does: not seem, judging from the remarks upon it in the Sydney papers, that he is likely to have any trouble on that account, Moreover his bold policy seems to be highly popular in the other Colonies, Th matter was referred to in the Legislative Assembly of Victorix, where the Premier expressed his opinion, amid Toud cheers, that the act had been wisely and bravely done, Since then the Victorian Premier has instructed his Agent. General in London to back up the action of Queensland, and he Las further asked the Governments of New South Wales and South Australia to join in the same movement. It is stated that the Premier of Queensland had before he acted asked the Home Government to annex New Guinea, but making sure of an unfavourable answer with Lord Derby at the Colonial Office; he did it himself rather than run the risk of waiting until it was too late, Until the Home Government comes toa decision matters will remain as they are, and there seems to be hope in the colonies that the Gladstone Ministry will acquiesce in the vigorous policy on condition that Queersland will bear the cost. It does not seem as if the Sydney opinion of the English Premier or his colleagues was a very high one, The near proximity of a part of Now Giinea to Queensland made it impossible that-the inhabitants of the latter country could look with indifference on the prospect of its being taken pos: sion of by any other European power. Some years ago, when Lord Carnarvon. was Golonial Secretary, efforts were made to induce him to authorize ita annexation, Since then the Island has attracted more attention in Europe, and there is rensou to suppose that France and Germany lind their eyes on it. Of course it is of a hundred times the value to Australasia that it could be to any European power. It la sparsely populated; the calculation of the number of inhabitants being only one to the square milo in the plains, Bat the recent explorations of M. Albertis have shown that the country has grenter capabilities than were sup. posed before. On the banks of one largo river ho found rich tracts especially suited to sugar cultivation, with many ites where towns or villages might be established. According to the testimony of the Rey. Mr. Lawes, a missionary whose letters on the subject have been published in the Brisbane Courier, the natives along the coast are favourably disposed to the white man, but if they Lave cause to feel aggrieved the door of the country will be closed. They are said to be a home-loying race, and unlikely to go abroad to become hourers in the colonies. Mr. Lawes anys that they would never consent to leave their country for even one, two, or three years. In former times they were much given to robbing and plundering, besides murder, as a part of their foreign policy, and they ad a warrior, a hunter, and a robber chief. The occupation of the last-named official is now said to be gone, such things as robbing passing canoes or atripping trading-parties from the interior of everything being no longer indulged in; though the memory of them, Mr. Lawes says, still lives. Hoe admits that the natives keep their hands in by petty pilfering, of which they are, however, ashamed. They now respect the rights of property, and have given up the cruelty and savagery for which they were formerly noted. If the character of the New Guinen native be what Mr. Lawes says it is, and he has such strong objections to leaving his home that there is often great difficulty in getting sufficient hands for the' mis:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.