F.—3

2

Negotiations,

land. Proposition of subsidy above is only practicable arrangement, without involving unnecessary expense to colonies. Cost per annum will be sppplied in few days." So soon as the letter of 23rd August arrives we will send you a copy. Colonial Secretary.

No. 4. The Hon, the Colonial Seceetaey, Sydney, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey, New Zealand. Sydney, 28th September, 1876. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Mb. Ceacknell, Superintendent of Telegraphs, in unofficial letter dated Cook, Ist August, writes to Postmaster-General, " From all I could gather in the United States, it is by no means probable that the American Government will subsidize a telegraph cable." Colonial Seceetaey.

No. 5. The Hon. the Acting Colonial Secretary, Western Australia, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Perth, 4th September, 1876. I have the honor, by direction of His Excellency Governor Robinson, C.M.G., to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th July, 1876, enclosing therewith a further memorandum on the subject of electric telegraph communication by deep-sea cables between the Australasian Colonies and the rest of the world. His Excellency desires me to express to you the wish of this Government to send a delegate to any Conference that may be held on telegraphic questions if you will kindly give this Government due notice. I have, &c, A. O'Grady Lefhoy, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Acting Colonial Secretary.

No. 6. Mr. Audley Coote to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, New Zealand. Re Duplicate Cable to London. S IE; Hobart Town, 12th September, 1876. Referring to my previous letters I have had the honor of addressing to you from time to time on the above subject, may I again ask that this matter may receive early consideration at your convenience ? And as it now appears to be the wish of all the colonies that this duplicate cable should take more the form of an intercolonial undertaking than heretofore, and also that a Conference be held to take into consideration the route that the delegates may in their wisdom select, may I again take the liberty of informing you that I have been deputed by, and am the representative of, an associated body of gentlemen well known in the telegraphic world, who initiated and have for years taken great interest in this undertaking, and whose Company have cables and wires already working and ready to connect with this duplicate cable ? And as some point may arise as the Conference progresses, may I venture to ask that I may be in attendance, and so be ready to answer any question the delegates may in their deliberations think it desirable or necessary I should explain, as undertakings of this nature, even with a subsidy from the Colonial Governments, sometimes fall through if too severe restrictions be placed upon them ; but not so if the Governments give it a liberal support, as the public confidence in all telegraphic undertakings is now considerably shaken, this having been brought about by the successive ruptures, nearly 10,000 miles of the principal cables being interrupted last month, of which the following are some: — The Atlantic cable of 1865, the Falmouth and Lisbon almost continuously interrupted, and almost simultaneously the French Atlantic cable of 1869, the Madras-Penang cable, the Java-Port Darwin cable, the Singapore-Batavia cable; and all of these, I believe, were manufactured and laid by one company. The public not being ignorant of these facts, coupled with the shares of the best telegraph companies at 50 per cent, discount, makes it the more desirable that this undertaking should be backed by a liberal guarantee or subsidy from the different Governments. Should the Governments prefer it, may I venture to suggest that the Governments order the cable direct from the contractors, to be paid for by money raised by them as a public loan ? This could be done on very reasonable terms, and certainly on conditions much cheaper than that of any public company. The Governments would then have the entire control of an independent line to India, and would probably be able to insure as low rates for messages, and at a paying price to themselves. I have taken the liberty to place these facts before you, showing the necessity of the Governments granting tariff's and conditions as liberal as possible, and that what I have already asked for as a subsidy is not excessive. I have, &c., The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Audley Coote.