■P.—4.

1880. NEW ZEALAND. *

DUPLICATION OF TELEGRAPH CABLE FROM PORT DARWIN (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO). In continuation of P.-4a, Sess. 1., 1879.

Presented to hoih Souses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Superintendent, Cable Company, Wakapuaka, to the General Manager of Telegraphs, Wellington. 23rd February, 1878. Sie, —I have the honor to state that our Adelaide agent desires me to inform you that the Managing Director of this Company is expected to arrive in Melbourne about March 9th proximo, and it is proposed that a representative from each of the colonies should meet him in Melbourne to endeavour to make arrangements for the duplication of the cables from Australia. —I have, &c, J. S. Shapley.

No. 2. The General Manages of Telegeaphs, Wellington, to the Superintendent, Cable Company, Wakapuaka. 4th March, 1878. Sie, —I am directed hy tho Hon. the Telegraph Commissioner to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd ultimo respecting the proposed meeting of colonial representatives to take into consideration the question of duplicate cable. The Commissioner would feel glad if you could favour him with some further particulars respecting the proposed duplication, the basis upon which it is expected to be carried out, and any further information you may think of value. —I have, &c, C. Lemon.

No. 3. The Superintendent, Cable Company, Wakapuaka, to the General Manages of Telegraphs, Wellington. 9th March, 1878. Sie, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 78/342, of the 4th instant, in which you ask, on behalf of the Hon. the Commissioner of Telegraphs, for some further particulars respecting the question of a duplicate cable from Australia, and, in reply, beg to state that some of the Australian Colonies have agreed to ask our Managing Director, Colonel Glover, to meet them in consultation for the purpose of seeing if some arrangement can be come to by which a duplicate cable may be laid by this Company between Port Darwin, or some other port iu Australia, and Singapore, and thus insure permanent telegraphic communication with England by having a second line throughout. I cannot do better than enclose you the copy of a circular which was issued by this Company some time since, as it goes fully into the question and states the terms upon which the Company would at that time have been willing to carry out the proposed work. The " Chimborazo " arrived at Adelaide with Colonel Glover on hoard ; so that, should the Hon. the Telegraphic Commissioner wish for any further particulars, I shall be most happy to wire direct to Colonel Glover for the information he may require, upon receipt of advice to that effect.—l have, &c, J. S. Shapley. I—E. 4.