COLONIAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 6905, 10 November 1887, Page 5

COLONIAL ITEMS.

[reuteb's telegrams.] Received November 10th. 1.40 a.m.

Losdon, November 8.

Arrangements have been concluded between the Treasury and the Governments of Victoria, New South Wale?, and South Australia, whereby England pays .£95,000 as her proportion of the postal subsidy, the colonies contributing £75,0G0.

Canon Dalton lectured upon the Colonial Conference at the Colonial Institute last night. During the discussion which followed the lecture, Mr James Service mentioned that the Canadian Government had undertaken the survey of the route for the cable to Australia, asking from the Australian colonies only a small subsidy. [SPECIAL TO PSE33 ASSOCIATION.] Received November 10th. 1.30 a.na. London; November 8. Tbe Australian mail contracts will be signed forthwith, and each party to the agreement will retain their own postages. Sir Saul Samuel has asked Mr Ooschen his views on the reduction of postages by the direct sea route, and that gentleman has replied that the matter will be left to Mr Raikes, the Postmaster-General, and the Agents-General. England and New South Wales favour a threepenny and Victoria desires a fourpenny rate.

The Financial News attacks tbe excessive borrowing of the colonies, and warns investors that the securities offered by Victoria aud New South Wales far exceeds that of other colonies, though the distinction is not/enough at the recognised prices of the bonds. The same paper denounces " the ga»g of New Zealand politicians living on LO.U.'s." London, November 9. Canon Dalton delivered a lecture on the late Imperial Conference at the Colonial Institute last night. He declared that although technically speaking the Sydney Morning Herald was justified in asserting that the results of the Conference were nil, still the way had been paved for the Pacific cable and the thorough fortification of the Cape. He also declared that the Conference had not been informed of the proposed abandonment of the Lee ward Islands. Sir Graham Berry, in the course of a few remarks, showed that one of the results of the Conference had been a decided increase in the federation spirit. Mr Jas. Service, who was present, said that "the Herald's criticism must have been written under a misapprehension. He was confident that the decisions arrived at by the Conference would Iβ endorsed by the various Australian Parliaments. As a matter of fact, the Conference had approved of the terms on which the New Hebrides question should be settled, and this alone was evidence of the practical results attained by it.