A.—3

6

At the Treasury, Sydney, Monday, 27th January, 1873. Present: — Victoria: The Hon. J. G. Francis. Queensland: The Hon. A. H. Palmer. The Hon. E. Langton. The Hon. J. M. Thompson. New South Wales : The Hon. Henry Parkes. New Zealand : The Hon. Julius Vogel. The Hon. Saul Samuel. The Hon. W. H. Eeynolds. South Australia: The Hon. Sir Henry Ayers. Tasmania: The Hon. F. M. Innes. The Hon. J. H. Barrow. The Hon. J. M. Wilson. Western Australia: The Hon. F. P. Barlee. The Conference having assembled at the appointed time, the minutes of the proceedings on the 23rd and 24th instants were read and confirmed. The Chairman then addressed the Conference as follows : —" I desire to apologise for not having been present at the meeting of the Conference on the 24th instant, and to express my grateful sense of the handsome manner in which the proceedings were adjourned in consideration of the cause of my absence." 1. Mr. Innes gave the following notices of motion, viz.:— (1.) " That in the event of separate contracts being entered into for the conveyance of European and Australian Mails, it is expedient that a compact should be made between the respective contracting Governments to adhere to the same rates of postage. (2.) " That it is desirable that the statistics of the several Australian Colonies should be framed on a uniform system ; and that with a view to this object, the Governments of New South "Wales and Victoria be requested to devise a plan, and refer a draft of the same for approval or amendment to the Governments of the respective Colonies interested ; and the plan having been matured, the same to be observed in the preparation of the annual statistics of the Colonies." 2. Mr. Eeynolds gave notice of the following motion, viz.: —" The Representatives of New Zealand will, on a future day, submit to the Conference the following scheme for erecting and maintaining a Lighthouse on the ' Snares' — Bough estimated cost of lantern and apparatus for a revolving white light £ of the first order ... ... ... ... ... ... 5,000 Eough estimated cost of building ... ... ... ... ... 10,000 15,000 Eough estimated cost per annum of maintenance, including the pay of four keepers ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 1,500 It would be necessary that the station should be visited four times a year, and the vessel performing the service could also visit the Auckland Islands, for the purpose of renewing the supply of provisions at the depot, and examining the islands for possible castaways. Estimated cost per annum of such visits and examinations ... ... £500 Contributions towards the cost of erection (say £15,000), and of maintenance and visiting (say £2,000 per annum), to be made by the following Colonies in proportion to population, viz.:— New South "Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria, | New Zealand." Some discussion then took place, on the motion of Mr. Vogel, on the subject of the whole correspondence respecting the postal service being laid before the Conference, when it was resolved that the Secretary should arrange the same, and have it printed for the use of the Conference. 3. Mr. Langton then moved, and Sir Henry Ayers seconded, —" That a Committee, consisting of Mr. Innes, Mr. Barlee, and Mr. Barrow, be appointed to consider what correspondence addressed to the Conference should be laid before the Conference." Unanimously agreed to. 4. Mr. "Wilson gave notice of the following addendum to his notice of motion on the 23rd instant: — " That a representation be made to the Imperial Government that its proposed contribution of £40,000 towards the mail service will be found considerably to fall short of one-half the cost of the direct and branch services between Point de Galle and the Australasian Colonies, and therefore that a reasonable augmentation of the subsidy should be accorded." 5. Mr. Francis moved, and Mr. Vogel seconded, —" That in referring to the several Colonies represented in any of the proceedings of the Conference, the names be placed in alphabetical order." Agreed to unanimously. 6. Mr. Vogel gave the following notices of motion, viz:— (1.) That the Imperial Government be applied to by telegram to grant a subsidy of £20,000 to the Californian Service, in addition to paying all charges upon the transmission of mails to and from London and San Francisco. (2.) That the Imperial Government be applied to by telegram to grant a subsidy of £4,000 to a Torres Straits Service, to be arranged for by New South "Wales and Queensland. (3.) That the Imperial Government be applied to by telegram to increase the promised subsidy to the line between Australia and Galle by £10,000, as in consequence of the rise in coal and the cost of the branch services, the £40,000 proposed to be given will not nearly cover a moiety of the necessary expenditure. (4.) That subject to such arrangement being found feasible, the present San Francisco Service be varied to a service similar to that agreed upon provisionally, between Mr. Duffy, Mr. Vogel, and Mr. "Webb, except that " Sydney " be substituted for " Melbourne." That the subsidy be £50,000, of which New Zealand pay £30,000 ; the balance to be paid by the subsidy of £20,000 from the Imperial Government. That the Colonies using the service pay to New Zealand the full amount of the postage received by them for the mail matter they transmit by the service.