F.—s

18

In the meantime, Mr Fleming has asked me to get some information as to the survey which was commenced by Her Majesty's Government a few years ago, and subsequently abandoned, and if you can help me I shall be obliged. Probably some particulars are available—showing the amount of work done, &c.—which will be useful in connection with the discussions that will shortly be taking place on the subject. I remain, &c, The Hon. E. H. Meade, C.8., &c. Chaeles Tuppee.

Sub-enclosure to Enclosure in No. 6. Extract from a Letter from Mr Sandfoed Fleming to Sic Chaeles Tuppee. Melbourne, 6th November, 1893. You will be glad to learn that we have met with unqualified success in our mission to Australia, and that the Governments of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia have assented to the proposal to send representatives to Canada at an early date to consider trade relations and the establishment of the Pacific cable. All the other colonies will, no doubt, join, and I may state, as the best evidence of the determination reached, that in the Speech from the Throne at the prorogation of the Parliament of Victoria to-day the proposed Canadian Conference is specially mentioned. This, to my mind, is as satisfactory an outcome as could have been hoped for from the visit of the Canadian Minister of Trade and Commerce to the Southern Colonies of the Empire, and I feel assured it will lead to happy results. In our interviews with the Governments of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, in Brisbane, Sydney, and this city, we learned that despatches had quite recently been received from the Colonial Office, enclosing reports from high officials in the Admiralty and Post Office Department on the proposed Pacific cable. We learned further, with deep regret, that the tone and tendency of the reports is discouraging, and peculiarly antagonistic to the carrying-out of the undertaking , that they convey the impression that the new line of telegraph is not required, and, besides being unnecessary, is impracticable or next to impracticable. Considering the character of our mission, to lay the foundations of trade between the Australasian Colonies and Canada, to develop telegraphic intercourse between these colonies and the heart of the Empire by an entirely new route, and especially to prevent the Pacific cable drifting into foreign hands, I could not fail to feel that the receipt of such reports during our visit was an unhappy coincidence. This was felt the more, as the agents and advocates of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company have long taken the same ground, and urged that the Pacific cable is alike unnecessary and impracticable. But there is another side to the question ; and as the Colonial Minister naturally will desire to obtain the fullest information from all sources, I think it would be well to bring to his attention the enclosed correspondence between Sir John Pender and myself, and likewise the memorandum, of date October 11th [see No. 3, enclosure], transmitted by Mr Bowell to the several Australian Governments and New Zealand, a copy of which has been sent you. The latter document will furnish to the Home Government evidence establishing that an electric cable, essentially British, from Australia to Canada, is entirely practicable. The letter of Sir John Pender is the best proof that he no longer considers the Pacific cable unnecessary and impracticable, and that he is quite ready to co-operate in carrying out the work. My own opinions on this point are given in my reply to Sir John, and in my memorandum of October 11th. It will, of course, rest with the Conference when it meets in Canada to consider the proper course to be followed. Mr Bowell will have informed you, in his letter of this date, that I leave for London by an early steamer, and that on my arrival I shall ask your kind aid in obtaining information to lay before the members of the Conference when they reach Canada.

Second Sub-enclosures to Enclosure m No. 6. Sir John Pendee to Mr Sandfoed Fleming, and Mr. Fleming to Sir John Pender. [See Enclosure 1 in No. 4, pages 14-16.]

No. 7. The Acting-Supeeintendent, Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (Limited), to the Hon. the Pbemieb, New Zealand. The Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Sir, — Cable Bay, Wakapuaka, Nelson, New Zealand, 17th April, 1894. I have the honour to forward you the following, by direction of Sir John Pender, Chairman of this company : — " In view of Ottawa Conference having been definitely fixed to be held in June, for considering, amongst other matters, question of laying Pacific cable, and to which Her Majesty's Government have decided to send a representative to watch proceedings, I beg to transmit to you for your Government's consideration copy of a letter which I have recently addressed to the Colonial Office explaining my company's views of the subject, together with a statement giving some details of the figures referred to in the letter :— ' Eeferring to our recent interview on the subject of the resolution passed at the Wellington Conference in favour of a Pacific cable, when you stated that the Colonial Office had not up to that time been officially approached in the matter by the Colonial Governments, I have since seen it