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held at Sydney, in New South Wales, during the months of January and February, 1873, agreed to recommend to their Governments to submit for the approval of their respective Parliaments. The Council advise that the action taken by the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer and the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs, as the representatives of New Zealand at the said Conference, in respect of the agreement for the construction of the said telegraphic cables, be approved, and that the said agreement be ratified, subject to the approval of the Parliament of New Zealand, to which it is to be submitted in its next Session. Foestee Goeino, Approved in Council, 4th June, 1873. Clerk of the Executive Council.

"""i^™"'" -...ii...... No. 8. Mr. Audlet Coote to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic,— Hobart Town, 6th June, 1873. Referring to the Submarine Cable negotiations at the late Intercolonial Conference, and to the agreement between yourself and the Chief Secretary of New South Wales, I have now the honor to enclose for your information a tracing showing two routes, with zig-zag soundings, for the proposed cables. Should the routes shown on the tracing not meet with your approval, will you kindly name the alterations you require to the Sydney Government, for the guidance of Mr. Cracknell, as the steamer "Egmont" is being fitted up for the purpose. I may be permitted to add the contractors, in their letters by the last mail, urge upon me the necessity of having the soundings taken as soon as possible. The Hon. J. Vogel, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, &c, I have, _c, New Zealand. Audlet Coote.

No. 9. The Hon. J. Vogel to Mr. Audlet Coote. Sic, — Electric Telegraph Department, Wellington, 30th June, 1873. Referring to your letter of Gth June, in which you enclosed a tracing showing two routes for the proposed telegraph cable between New Zealand and Australia, I have the honor to enclose copy of a telegram which 1 have forwarded to Melbourne for transmission to you. You will doubtless have received that message, and will thus have learned that this Government altogether object to the route by the North Cape. I have, &c, Audley Coote, Esq., Hobart Town. Julius Vogel.

Enclosure in No. 9. The Hon. J. Voqel to Mr. Audlet Coote. Wellington, 30th June, 1873. —The Government of New Zealand cannot sanction one of the routes you propose —namely, that by North Cape. It is wholly useless, therefore, surveying it. Julius Voqel.

No. 10. Mr. Audley Coote to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic,— Hobart Town, 6th June, 1873. I have the honor to forward a tracing showing the proposed routes for the Submarine Telegraph Cable between Queensland and Singapore, and under separate cover I send a tracing showing the route between Australia and New Zealand, and beg to suggest that the neighbourhood of these lines we have laid down on the two tracings should be sounded; the soundings might, with advantage, be taken along zig-zag lines crossing the routes of the cable in the manner indicated on tracing No. 2. With regard to the Queensland and Singapore cable, permit me to state that the contractors and the other gentlemen who have undertaken the responsibility of making these cables a success, have, after giving it their most careful consideration, instructed me to suggest that it would be advisable to land the cable ou the Island of Java, as then, in the event of an accident happening to any part of the cable between Queensland and Singapore, the lines of the competing company might be made use of for part of the distance, and so the total stoppage of traffic over the whole line, during the execution of repairs, would be avoided. They also think it would be best to land the cable in the Strait of " Rotti or Semoa," so as to gain speed by cutting the cable into sections, and, as no business is expected from Macassar, they hardly think it would be worth laying a much longer cable for the sake of going there. On tracing No. 1 is shown alternative routes for the cable, and the contractors have carefully considered the question as to these routes, and they are of opinion that, both for the benefit of the Company and the interests of the three Colonies, the cables should pass south of A, landing near Sourabaya Strait, thence passing by DE F G and H; although soundings would be of use if taken over tho lines B C to F, and from D past E J 7 and G to H. In conclusion I may be permitted to ask that the three Governments again write to the Imperial Government for one of their ships to take the necessary soundings, as marked on tracing No. 1. The Hon. J. Vogel, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, I have, &c., New Zealand. Audlet Coote.