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No. 26. The Agent-Geneeal to the Colonial Treasurer. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., sth November, 1886. It is announced to-day that the Prince of Wales has appointed a committee to consider the best way of carrying out His Eoyal Highness's proposal respecting the Imperial institution. I annex a communique, on the subject which appears in this morning's papers. I also transmit a report of the proceedings at the meeting of Executive Commissioners on the Ist instant, which was not issued when I wrote yesterday. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

Enclosure in No. 26. [Extract from the Times, Friday, sth November, 188C.J His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales has thought it advisable to request a number of public men to form themselves into a committee for the purpose of assisting in framing a scheme upon which to found the proposed Imperial institution for the colonies and India. Such body will confer with the official colonial representatives, and will endeavour to lay down lines for the constitution of the institution which shall be acceptable to the Queen's subjects at Home and abroad. The labours of the committee will be confined to action of a preliminary character, and it is not intended that the committee should be regarded as representing the governing body of the institution when established. The following are those to whom the request to form such committee has been made : The Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Eevelstoke, Lord Herschell, Lord Eothschild, the Eight Hon. G. J. Goschen, the Eight Hon. Sir Lyon Playfair, K.C.8., M.P.; the Eight Hon. Sir Henry James, M.P.; the Eight Hon. H. H. Fowler, M.P.; the Eight Hon. Sir Henry Holland, G.C.M.G., M.P.; the Eight Hon. C. T. Eitchie, M.P. ; the President of the Eoyal Academy (Sir F. Leighton), the Hon. Sir Ashley Eden, K.C.5.1.; Colonel Sir Owen Burns, K.C.5.1.; the Eight Hon. the Lord Mayor of London, the Governor of the Bank of England (Mr. J. B. Currie), the President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom (Sir Bernhard Samuelson, M.P.), the President of the London Chamber of Commerce (Mr. J. H. Tritton), Mr. Nevile Lubbock (representing the Eoyal Colonial Institute), and Mr. H. Broadhurst, M.P.

No. 27. The Agent-General to the Premier. Sie, —■ 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 19th November, 1886. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th October, enclosing copies of the telegrams that had passed between His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales and His Excellency the Governor respecting the proposal to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee by the foundation of the Imperial Institute. In my letters to the Hon. the Treasurer of the 2nd and sth instant I mentioned what had taken place since the meeting between the Prince and the Executive Commissioners on the 24th October, and especially the appointment by His Eoyal Highness of a new committee of advice. I now transmit the notes of a further meeting of the Executive Commissioners on the 6th instant, when I brought forward the resolutions of which I had given notice. You will see that it was then settled that the exhibits placed at His Eoyal Highness's disposal, either as loans or gifts, were to be taken charge of by Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen on behalf of His Eoyal Highness, and that the colonies were to be relieved from further working expense. In order to prevent any mistake, I said at the close of the meeting that I should send you a telegram to that effect. Since then a great change has taken place and everything that was supposed to be settled has been rescinded. The new committee have had two conferences with the various Executive Commissioners, and have announced that the Prince had now decided there shall be no reopening of the courts next year after all; that there had been some misapprehension of His Eoyal Highness's intention on the part of Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen; and that the committee could not undertake the charge of the exhibits at all. Under these altered circumstances a complete change has become necessary in the arrangements I had made with Sir Julius Von Haast. I think all the Australasian Commissioners have come to the same conclusion as myself, that it is now out of the question to keep our exhibits in the present buildings, and that the best way will be to return them to our colonies. We are accordingly dismantling our courts as fast as possible, and I have requested Sir Julius Von Haast to proceed immediately with the repacking of all the New Zealand exhibits except minerals and other things which are not perishable. I sent you a telegram yesterday informing you of what had taken place, and saying that I should make arrangements pending the receipt of further orders. I expected to have sent you particulars by to-day's mail, to enable you to give me definite instructions, but I have found it impossible to do so. Another conference it to be held this afternoon with the Prince's committee, with a view of further considering a number of questions, and it will be better for me to postpone what I have to report until after that meeting. But you may look upon it as certain now that the institution will no longer possess the distinguishing feature which the Prince had attached to it, and that instead of its being a place where only the arts and industries of the colonies and India should be represented, it will be one where those of the whole Empire will be brought together. I annex a paragraph from to-day's Times, containing the latest rumour of what is likely to be done, and a notice relating to the accounts of the four exhibitions that have been held at South Kensington. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.