ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE, RESPECTING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE NEW HEBRIDES GROUP

(January – February 1878*)

No. 1 – Foreign Office to Colonial Office

Foreign Office, February 1, 1878

SIR, 

I AM, directed by the Earl of Derby to transmit to you here-with, to be laid before Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, a copy of a communication received from the French Ambassador at this Court, calling attention to certain articles which have recently appeared in the Australian newspapers, advocating  the annexation of the islands of the New Hebrides to the British Crown, and stating that, although the French Government do not attach any great importance to this movement in favour of annexation, still, as they themselves have no intentions with regard to this group, the would be glad to receive an assurance to this effect from her Majesty’s Government.

I am now to state that Lord Derby proposes, with the concurrence of Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, to inform the French Ambassador, in reply to his Excellency’s communication, that Her Majesty’s government have no intention of proposing any measures to Parliament with a view of changing the condition of independence which the New Hebrides Islands now enjoy.
I am & c., 
W.R Malcolm Esq,					T.V. Lister

(Inclosure)

M. Le Comte,  Ambassade de France, le 18 Janvier, 1878

Il s’est établi entre I’lle de Nouvelle Calédibue et le groupe des Nouvelles Hébrides des rapports d’ordre commercial qui se sont rapidement développés en raison de lear voisinage et qui presentment pour la propérité de notre établissement colonial une importance considerable.

Mon Gouvernement, qui attaché beaucoup de prix áce que ces relations continuent sur le même pied, se préoccupe dans une certaine mesure d’un movement d’opinion qui se scrait produit en Australie dans ce dernier temps.  Les journaux de ce pays anraient dénoué l’intention qu’ils attribuent à la France de réunir les Nouvelles Hébrides à ses possessions et demanderaient qu’afin de prévenir cette éventualité l’archipel don’t il s’agit fût place sous la souveraineté de la Couronne d’Angleterre.

*Laid before Parliament by the Colonial Office in 1884, with “Correspondence respecting New Guinea and other Islands, and the Convention at Sydney of the Representatives of the Australasian Colonies.”

Sans attacher à ce movement de l’opinion une très-grande importance, mon Gouvernement tient toutefois à déclarer que pour ce qui le concerne il n’a pas le projet de porter atteinte à l’indépendance des Nouvelles Hébrides, et il serait heureux de savoir que de son côté le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté est également dispose à la respecter.               Veuillez, &c.,
S.E. Le Comte de Derby.	D’HARCOURT.

No. 2 – Colonial Office to Foreign Office

Sir, 	Downing Street, February 20, 1878
In reply to your letter of the 1st instant, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acquaint you that he concurs in the terms of the reply which the Earl of Derby proposes to give to the inquiry of the French Ambassador at this Court with reference to the intentions of Her Majesty’s Government in respect of the New Hebrides group.

I am, &c.,
T.V Lister, Esq	W.R MALCOLM

FORMS of Statements to be furnished by British Subjects born in France who claim British Nationality, and of Certificates delivered to them accordingly.* November 4, 1878
____

(1.)	Statement to be made by a British Subject whose Father was born in France, or in any other Country out of the British Dominions.

I,                                              , of                       
Do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows: -
1. I am the son of
of                                               and
The certificate annexed hereto and marked A is the certificate of the marriage of the said
and                                                             , and the certificate annexed hereto and marked B is the certificate of my birth.
2. The said
the son of                                                       and   
The certificate annexed hereto and marked C is the certificate of the marriage of the said                                                               and
                                                                             , and the certificate annexed hereto and marked D is the certificate of birth of the said
3. The said                                                                was a natural-born British subject by reason of having been born in Her Majest’s dominions.  The certificate annexed hereto and marked E is the certificate of the birth of the said
4. Neither I nor any of my parents of grandparents have done or suffered anything whereby I have become deprived of my nationality as a natural-born subject.

_____
(2.) Statement to be made by a British Subject whose Father was born in the British Dominions.

I,                                                             , of
Do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows: - 
1. I am the son of
of                                                                               and
There certificate annexed hereto and marked A is the certificate of the marriage of the said
and                                                                                      , and the certificate annexed hereto and marked B is the certificate of my birth.
2. The said                                                                                        was a natural-born British subject by reason of having been born within Her Britannic Majesty’s dominions.  The certificate annexed hereto and marked C is the certificate of the birth of the said.
3. Neither I nor my father have done or suffered anything whereby I have become deprived of my nationality as a natural born British subject. 

_____

(3.) Form of Certificate for a British Subject whose Father was born in France or in any other Country out of the British Dominions.

I hereby certify that L.                                                   has satisfied me – 
1. That his nationality by origin is that of a natural-born British subject, by virtue of M., 
his paternal grandfather, having been a natural-born British subject.
2. That the said L.                                                        still preserves such nationality.

A.B., one of Her Majesty’s Principal
Secretaries of State.

Home Office, Whitehall,
          the             day of                             18    .

I certify the above to be the signature of A.B.,

Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department.

C.D., Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs.
Or E.F., Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office, the 
                   day of                    18          .

Vu pour la légalisation de la signature ci-dessus de C.D.,
                                                                                              , Principal Secrétaire d’Etat de Sa Majesté Britannique au Département des Affaires Etrangères (ou de E.F.,                                                            
Sous-Secrétaire d’Etat an Département des Affaires Étrangères).
Fait à                                   , le                                 18          .
Le Consul
Le Vice-Consul                      de la Grande Bretagne.
L’Agent Consulaire

G.H.
(Traduction.)

Je certifie par les présentes que L.
M’a prouvé:
1. Que sa nationalité d’origine est celle de sujet Britannique, son grand père paternal M.                                               étant né subject Britannique.
2. Que le dit L.                                                                                 conserve
encore cette nationalité.
A.B., L’un des Principaux Secrétaires d’Etat
De Sa Majesté Britannique

Ministère de l’Intérieur, 
Whitehall, le                                  , 18         .
Pour traduction conforme à l’original.
Le Consul
Le Vice-Consul                      de la Grande Bretagne.
L’Agent Consulaire

Fait à                           , le                            18     . 

______

(4.)  Form of Certificate for a British Subject whose Father was born in the British Dominions

I hereby certificate that L.                        has satisfied me – 
1. That his nationality by original is that of a natural-born British subject, by virtue of M.,                                                      his father, having been a natural-born British subject. 
2. That the said L.                                                                      still preserves such nationality.
A.B., one of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

Home Office, Whitehall
the                               day of                               , 18     .
I certify the above to be the signature of A.B.,
Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department.

C.D., Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Or E.F., Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Office, the
Day of                                , 18       .
Vu pour la légalisation de la signature ci-dessus de C.D.,
Principal Secrétaire d’Etat de Sa Majesté Britannique au Département des Affaires Étrangères (ou de E.F                            Sous- Secrétaire d’Etat au Département des Affaires Étrangères).

Le Consul
Le Vice-Consul                      de la Grande Bretagne.
L’Agent Consulaire

G.H.

(Tranduction.)

Je certife par les présentes que L.                                                                                m’a prouvé:-
1. Que sa nationalité d’origine est celle de sujet Britannique, M.,                                son père, étant né sujet Britannique.
2. Que Le dit L.                                                                   conserve encore cette nationalité.
A.B., l’un des Principlaux Secrétaires d’Etat
de Su Majesté Britannique.

Ministère de l’Intérieur
Whitehall, le                            18    ,

Pour traduction conforme à l’original.

Le Consul
Le Vice-Consul                      de la Grande Bretagne.
L’Agent Consulaire

Fait à                           , le                            18     .