E.—Sa

1899. NEW ZEALAND.

TELEGRAPH CABLES (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO). In continuation of Paper F.-8a, presented on the 18th October, 1898.]

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

PEOPOSED PACIFIC CABLE. [Extract from British parliamentary paper entitled " Pacific Cable Committee: Eeport, Minutes of Proceedings," &c, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, April, 1899.] Instrument of Appointment of the Committee. I appoint the Eight Hon. William Waldegrave, Earl of Selborne, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies; George Herbert Murray, Esq., C.8., a principal clerk in the Department of the Treasury; Sir Donald Alexander Smith, G.C.M.G., High Commissioner for Canada; the Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell, K.C.M.G., member of the Privy Council of Canada; the Hon. Sir Saul Samuel, K.C.M.G., C.8., Agent-General for New South Wales; and the Hon. Duncan Gillies, AgentGeneral for Victoria, to be a Committee to consider in all its aspects the proposal for laying a telegraph cable between British North America and the Colonies of Australasia, and to report to me, for the consideration of Her Majesty's Government, their views upon the following questions:— 1. Is the laying of such a cable practicable from a technical point of view ? 2. If so, what route should be selected for the cable? 3. What will be the cost — (a) of laying, (b) of maintaining the cable, and (c) of the annual working expenses? 4. What revenue will arise from the traffic which may be expected to pass over the cable ? 5. Should the cable be owned and worked by Government or by a subsidised private company ? 6. If the cable were to be national property, what would be the proper method of management and administration ? 7. What should be the form of contract offered to a contractor for its construction? It is desired that the report should embody the views of the Committee upon any subsidiary questions of a practical nature which? may arise during the investigation. Should the report of the Committee, after it has been submitted to Her Majesty's Government, render such a course advisable, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and myself will be prepared to discuss with the representatives of the Dominion of Canada and of the Australasian Colonies the financial side of the question in its bearing upon the interests of the Governments concerned. 2nd June, 1896. J. Chamberlain.

Further Instrument of Appointment. I appoint the Hon. A. G. Jones to be a member of the Pacific Cable Committee, in the place of the Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell, K.C.M.G., resigned. 10th November, 1896. J. Chamberlain.

BBPORT OP THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL FOR LAYING A TELEGRAPH CABLE BETWEEN BRITISH NORTH AMERICA AND THE COLONIES OP AUSTRALASIA. 1. The Committee have the honour to report that, having been appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 2nd June last, they held their first meeting on the sth of that month, but that owing to unavoidable delays they were unable to begin the examination of witnesses till the 12th November. 2. The Committee desire to express their obligations to Mr. Sandford Fleming, whose long labours on the subject of a Pacific cable have thrown much light upon the project, and materially