P.—3

Sess. 11.—1879. NEW ZEALAND.

TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH SOUTH AFRICA (DESPATCH CONVEYING THANKS TO COLONY FOR ALLOWING AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND CABLE TO BE USED FOR).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Sir M. E. Hicks Beach to His Excellency Sib Hescules Eobinson. ,Sie— Downing Street, 24th June, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 9, of the 12th of April, transmitting to me a copy of a memorandum from Sir George Grey, expressing, more fully than was possible in a telegraphic communication, the readiness with which the Government of New Zealand acquiesced in the arrangement by which the cable which was about to be used for the duplication of the Australian Service was made available to secure the establishment, at the earliest possible moment, of telegraphic communication with South Africa. I have already, in my Despatch No. 22, of the 25th of April, requested you to convey to your Ministers the thanks of Her Majesty's Government for their ready acquiescence in the proposed arrangement; and I must now again ask you to express to them the pleasure with which Her Majesty's Government have received the assurances of good-will and desire to assist this country on every occasion of difficulty which may arise in the Empire, which are expressed in Sir George Grey's memorandum on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand. I have, &c, Governor Sir Hercules Eobinson, G.C.M.G., &c. M. E. Hicks Beach.

Authority : Geoege Didsbuey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB79.