11

F.—B.

Telegraph Company (Limited), London, asking for payment of £1,197, being the difference between the receipts from cablegrams transmitted over the New Zealand cables and the amount guaranteed under the tariff guarantee agreement of April, 1895; also copy of your reply thereto. - In reply, I have to inform you that arrangements have been made to imprest you with the amount named above for payment to the Manager of the company. I have, &c, J. G. Waed (for the Premier). The Hon. W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No. 52. The Hon. the Pbemieb to the Agent-Genebal. (Memorandum.) Premier's Office, Wellington, 16th July, 1900. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum of the Ist ultimo, with reference to the cost of manufacturing and laying a telegraph-cable between La Perouse and Wakapuaka, together with copy of correspondence between yourself and Sir W. H. Preece on the same subject. J. G. Wabd (for the Premier). The Hon. W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

PROPOSED PACIFIC CABLE. No. 53. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Peemiee. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sic,— 16th June, 1899. Referring to my letter of the 9th instant [No. 57, F.-8, 1899], I beg to transmit herewith copy of a joint letter which has been addressed by the High Commissioner for Canada and the Agents-General to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the Pacific cable. I have, &c, Waltee Kennaway (for the Agent-General). The Hon. the Premier, Wellington.

Enclosure in No. 53. The Agents-Genebal to the Seceetaby of State for the Colonies. Sic,— 17, Victoria Street, S.W., 16th June, 1899. We beg to acknowledge your letter of the 6th instant [Enclosure in No. 57, F.-8, 1899] with reference to the scheme for connecting Canada with Australasia by a submarine cable. We observe with the liveliest satisfaction that you refer to the proposed work as one of great importance to the Empire, and that the considerations we ventured to bring to your notice have induced Her Majesty's Government to adopt, in effect, the recommendations of the Pacific Cable Committee to regard the enterprise as an Imperial undertaking, and to accept the share of the responsibility which attaches to the Mother-country in virtue of her position as head of the Empire. It gave us great pleasure to communicate, by telegraph, to the Governments we represent the willingness of Her Majesty's Government, as conveyed in your letter, to meet the wishes of Canada and the colonies concerned, and to consider the matter on the basis of utilising the credit of the United Kingdom in the provision of the capital necessary for the undertaking; and, further, its readiness to discuss the questions relating to the mode of raising the capital, and to the construction and control of the cable, which the adoption of this principle must involve. Replies have now reached us with reference to the suggestion contained in the concluding paragraph of your letter, that delegates should be appointed by the colonial Governments, and we have been formally requested to confer with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and yourself on the subject as desired. In the meantime, we desire to express our appreciation of the decision of Her Majesty's Government, and of the terms in which it has been communicated to us, which, we feel sure, will also cause much gratification in the portions of the Empire we have the honour to represent. We are, &c, Steathcona, High Commissioner for Canada. Julian Salomons, Agent-General for New South Wales. Andeew Claeke, Agent-General for Victoria. W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand. Hoeace Tozee, Agent-General for Queensland. The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., Secretary of State for the Colonies.