THE INTER-COLONIAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 40, 28 October 1871, Page 2

THE INTER-COLONIAL CONFERENCE.

POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS. After adjourned debate, the following contract for two postal services with Europe was adopted and signed : The Hon Charles Gavan Duffy, Chief Secretary and Premier, and the Hon Graham Berry, Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs, of the colony of Victoria; the Hon Sir James Martin, Attorney-General and Premier, the Hon George William Lord, Colonial Treasurer, and the Hon Joseph Docker, Postmaster-General, of the colony of New South Wales; tho Hon John Hart, C.M.G., Treasurer and Premier, the Hon William Milne, Chief Secretary, and the Hon William Morgan, a member of the Legislative Council of the colony of South Australia; the Hon John Malbon Thompson, Secretary for Public Lands, and the Hon Thomas Lodge Murray - Prior, PostmasterGeneral of the colony of Queensland; and the Hon James Milne Wilson, Colonial Secretary and Premier, and the Hon James Dunn, member of the Executive Council of the colony of Tasmania; have this 2fith day of September, a.d 1871, at Melbourne, in the colony of Victoria, acting on behalf of the colonies they respectively represent, agreed to the following terms for the establishment of a postal service between these colonies aud England ;

1. The above mentioned colonies shall contribute towards the maintenance of two postal • lines—the one between London and Sydney, by the way of Suez, and the other between London and Melbourne, by the way of San Francisco—a sum not exceeding <£123,000 per annum, in the proportions following, based on the relative population of such colonies namely :

The sum is fixed on the assumption that one-half of the total cost of both services should be borne by the Imperial Government. 2. Such contributions?

shall be paid subject to the conditions following:—(1). The mails shall be delivered both ways and on both routes within 48 days; that is to say from London to Sydney, and from Sydney to London, by way of Suez, within 48 days, and from London to Melbourne and from Melbourne to London, by the way of San Francisco, within 48 days. (2). The steamers running by way of Suez shall call both ways and receive and deliver mails at Glenelg (Holdfast Bay), in South Australia, and at Melbourne in Victoria. (3). The steamers running by way of San Francisco shall both ways and deliver and receive mails at Moreton Island, in Queensland, and at Sydney, in New South Wales. (4). The time tables of the two lines shall be so arranged as to provide for the arrival and despatch of a mail every fortnight. 3. The colony of New Zealand shall be permitted to join in and enjoy the benefit of this agreement on undertaking to pay* the proportion of the entire cost (£123,000) on the basis of population, and to provide any branch service necessary to enable her to avail herself of the arrangement. The eone colonies would then

tributions of tl: stand thus :

4. In the event of a contribution being made by Western Australia, New Caledonia, the Sandwich Islands, or any other colony or country, towards the above services, or either of them, such contributions shall be applied to diminish the payments of the colonies entering into this agreement in the proportions in which they have hereby agreed to pay.

5. Any agreement made with the colony of New Zealand or any other country or colony to enable such colony or country to share in the advantages of this contract shall be so framed as not to extend the time above agreed upon within which mails are to be delivered in London and in Sydney and Melbourne.

6, Any contract made for the services above mentioned by way of Suez and Francisco may be for a period of five years certain, with a proviso that it shall continue in force after such period, unless two years before the expiration of such five years any one of the colonies give notice of withdrawal from the contract, and two years’ notice given by any one colony being a party to this agreement, at any time after the expiration of three years from the commencement of the contract, shall terminate such contract.

7. Any contract made , for either of the above lines may contain stipulations for enforcing performance similar to those inserted in the existing contract for the service by way of Suez.

8. The Government of the United States shall be invited to contribute towards the maintenance of the Ban Francisco line; and in the event of the total amount contributed by the colonies parties to this contract being by reason of such contributions or by any other reason, less than the sum of £123,000, the amounts paid by the colonies parties hereto shall be in the like proportion as that above fixed for the payment of the £123,000.

9. No colony party to this agreement shall give the two years’ notice above mentioned without at the same time giving notice to the other parties to this agreement. 10. Tenders shall be invited in the Australian colonies and in England and America for the two services, which, in both cases, may be invited through or with the concurrence of the Imperial Government, if found practicable and convenient; and such tenders shall provide for commencing the San Francisco service not later than the 31st March, 1873, and for commencing the Suez service immediately on the termination of the present contract for that service by effluxion of time or otherwise, and the 31st of March next shall be the latest period for sending in tenders.

11. The colonies of Victoria, New South "Wales, South Australia, and Queensland shall pay annually to the colony of Tasmania-in consideration of that colony joining in this agreement, towards the expenses of the two branch lines which it must establish to enable it to have the benefit of the postal lines above mentioned, the sum of £I2OO in the following proportions, namely :

12. This agreement is made subject to the condition that it shall be approved of by the legislatures of the colonies interested therein ; and the parties hereto pledge themselves to use their best efforts to obtain such approval.

13. For the purpose of more conveniently carrying out this agreement, the Governments of Victoria and New South Wales are authorised to take the necessary measures in that behalf.

Colony. Estimated Population. Proportionate Payment. Victoria 728,734 501,580 185,626 115,000 100,000 £ 8. d. 54,958 13 3 37,827 9 5 13,999 6 0 8,672 18 2 7,541 13 2 New South Wales South Australia ... Queensland Tasmania 1.630.940 123,000 0 0

Colony. Estimated Population. Proportionate Payment. £ 8 d. Yictoria ... 728,734 47,492 11 2 New South "Wales 501,580 32.688 12 9 South Australia ... 185,626 12097 9 9 Queensland 115,000 7,494 14 0 Tasmania... 100,000 6.517 3 0 New Zealand 256.393 16,709 9 4 1,887,333 123,000 0 0

Colony. Estimated Population. Proportionate Payment. Victoria 728,734 £ s. d. 571 4 1 New South Wales 501,580 393 3 1 South Australia ... 185,626 145 10 0 Queensland 115,000 90 2 10 1,530,940 1,200 0 0