D.—No. 3

revived public confidence in those undertakings. It is now proposed to lay a cable three and a half times the weight of that laid in the Red Sea, and moreover, protected against corrosion by a hard bituminous outer-covering which has been successfully applied to cables in the English and Irish Channels. To lay this heavier cable, it will be necessary to increase the capital to £1,100,000. The subsidy •would thus be raised to £50,000 per annum, on the basis already adopted in the Resolutions passed by the Legislatures of New South Wales and Victoria, in 18G0. The subsidy is to run for thirty years. The promoters offer to transmit the messages of the Colonial and Home Governments without payment to the extent of the subsidy, and in case the Home Government does not contribute, to place the tariff value of their messages to the credit of the subsidy, so that the difference only should be paid by the Colonies. It is estimated that 40,000 additional messages will be brought annually upon the telegraphs in Australia by the subsidised line, which will be a considerable source of revenue towards covering the subsidy. The promoters ask that Victoria and New South Wales shall render themselves liable to the Company for the whole subsidy. This liability will be equitably redistributed by means of an intercolonial agreement, basing the contribution of each colony towards the whole subsidy on the use it shall make of the subsidised line. Thus if Victoria sends and receives half of the whole number of messages transmitted through that line in a year it would pay the half of the subsidy. The payment of the subsidy is to be contingent upon the successful working of the cable. Should the Government of Queensland extend its telegraphs to a point north of Brisbane, for instance, to Broad Sound, the Company's Cable might be made to terminate at such point, but any such extension must be completed by the end of 18G4, and will not diminish the number of stations or the total working expenses, though it will save 350 miles of sea line. The Cable between Java and Brisbane, could be laid in about two years after the letting of the eontract. It is proposed to give the Colonies an efficient control over the tariff. Under existing arrangements no tariff can be established anywhere between Malta and Java, without the assent of the British Government. As regards the contribution of the Home Government, it should be borne in mind that Her Majesty's Government has bound itself to complete the telegraph lines as far as Singapore, and will, no doubt assist the telegraph to Australia, by lending ships to take additional soundings, and to pilot the Cable expedition. It should also be remembered that only one-fifth of the line, the section, namely, between Java and Timor, is out of Australian waters. London, July, 18G2. LONDON, MALTA, AND ALEXANDRIA TELEGRAPH. Messages for transmission by the Malta and Alexandria line can now be forwarded from any of the Offices of the Submarine, the Electric and International, or the British or Irish Magnetic Telegraph Companies in the United Kingdom at Uniform Rates. The following are the charges for Telegrams of 20 words, including names and addresses, and all instructions for forwarding them on, viz. :— From Londou to Alexandria ... ... ... £2 6 9 „ Provincial Stations to Alexandria ... ... 2 7!) „ London to Tripoli ... ... ... 169 „ Provincial Stations to Tripoli ... ... 179 „ London to Bengazi ... ... ... 1169 „ Provincial Stations to Bengazi ... ... 1 17 9 Half-rates being charged for every additional 10 or fraction of 10 words above 20. The charge for postage to places beyond Alexandria is 2s. extra. Telegrams intended to be sent by post from Alexandria should be addressed to "Gibbs, Alexandria," the receiver's name and address being written at the beginning of the body of the Telegram—thus, for instance : — FROM TO (Sender's name.) Gibbs, London (or original Station). Alexandria. (Receiver's name) Shanghae (or destination). Firms already having agents of their own at Point de t Galle, or Bombay, can address their Telegrams thus : — FROM TO (Sender's name) Gibbs, London (or original Station). Alexandria. (Agent's name) Galle (or Bombay), for (Receivers name) Calcutta (or elsewhere, as the case may be), or they can address them direct to their agents at Bombay or Galle, as at present. Messages can also be forwarded beyond Alexandria by the Telegraph to India Company's line

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TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION.