F.—B

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Intercolonial.— 2,366,7oo letters in 1889, including New Zealand, would give £19,772—5 ay, £20,000, for 1890. Loss, after adding 30 per cent, to value of reduced postage, £7,000. Queensland. Bates. —For delivery within limits of city or town where posted, Id. per half-ounce; between separate post towns, 2d. per half-ounce ; intercolonial, 2d. per half-ounce. Inland. —Value of twopenny stamps sold in 1889 ... ... ... £55,152 Less postage on 623,231 intercolonial letters at 2d. ... 5,194 49,958 Less one-half for reduced rates ... ... 24,979 24,979 Add 30 per cent, increase ... ... ... 7,493 Loss on inland penny postage ... ... ... ... £17,486 The loss on the intercolonial postage would be £1,818, or £19,304 in all. South Australia. Bates. —Inland, 2d. per half-ounce ; intercolonial, 2d. per half-ounce. The inland postage appears to amount to about £108,000. The loss, after allowing for 30 per cent, increase, would be £30,600. The loss on intercolonial letters would be, approximately, £1,200. Tasmania. Bates. —Town letters, Id. per half-ounce ; inland, 2d. per half-ounce; intercolonial, 2d. per half-ounce ; estimated postage on inland letters, £23,000; probable loss after allowing for 30 per cent, increase, £8,050. Intercolonial. —No statistical information available, but I should imagine the postage on intercolonial letters would not amount to more than £3,000, and if so, after allowing for 30 per cent, increase, the loss would be about £1,000. West Australia. Bates. —Town letters, Id. per half-ounce; country letters, 2d. per half-ounce ; intercolonial, 2d. per half-ounce. No reliable information available, but the whole postal revenue for 1888 was only £13,976. Taking 60 per cent, to represent the country letters, the postage would be £8,385, and the loss, after allowing 30 per cent, increase, £2,936. The loss on intercolonial letters would be, I should think, about £500. New Zealand. Bates. —Town letters, Id. per half-ounce ; country letters, 2d. per half-ounce; intercolonial, 2d. per half-ounce. I have no means of arriving at an estimate of the probable loss to New Zealand by an inland rate of Id., but, judging from the population, I should place the loss at about £30,000, and at £2,500 for the intercolonial. Recapitulation. Approximate Loss on Inland Postage. —New South Wales, £61,437 ; Queensland, £17,486 ; South Australia, £30,600; Tasmania, £8,050; West Australia, £2,936; New Zealand, £30,000 • total, £150,509. Approximate Loss on Intercolonial Postage. —Victoria, £8,750; New South Wales, £7,000 ; Queensland, £1,818; South Australia, £1,200; Tasmania, £1,000; West Australia, £500; New Zealand, £2,500 : total, £22,768. Grand total of loss on both inland and intercolonial postage, £173,277. N.B. —The loss shown above represents only the estimated decrease in receipts for the first year following a reduction, and does not include the additional expenditure that would be necessary. Accountant.

No. 16. — Telegram from the Premier of Tasmania to the Hon. B. Stafford Bird on the Subject of a lie-presentation from Mr. Audley Goote as to Telegraph Gables. (Laid before the Conference by the Hon. B. Stafford Bird.) Audley Coote disappointed not coming Conference or seeing you again before leaving. He has heard some new suggestions are likely to be made regarding Sir John Pender's company guarantee that may jeopardize the laying of Pacific cable, that he could have further explained to present Conference. He wishes you to consult Sir Samuel Griffith, who knows exact position, and desires you to read this telegram and his (Coote's) letter dated 19th, page 17, of Postal Conference, Adelaide, last year, and have both recorded. P. 0. Fysh.

Sm, — Societe Francaise de Victoria, Melbourne, 19th May. Referring to our conversation in reference to the Pacific cable, and to your request to address you on the subject, I have the honour to solicit your kind offices in bringing before your colleagues at the Conference the following: The project of the Pacific cable is temporarily arrested pending the projected Conference between the Canadian and Australasian representatives. It is unnecessary to remind you or to refresh your memory as to what has been done in that direction. I have no desire whatever to say anything that would tend towards the