F.—B.

No. 52. The Hon. Audley Cootb, Sydney, to the Hon. the Postmasteb-General, Wellington. Sib,— Athenaeum Club, Sydney, 31st July, 1902. I have the honour to refer to a cable message than has appeared in the newspapers here, viz. : " Sir J. G. Ward stated in the House of Eepresentatives that the Pacific cable would be duplicated from New Zealand to Queensland." Permit me now to inform you that Messrs. Felten, Guilleaume, of Carlswerk, Actien, Miilheim-am-Bhein, who are the German and American Cable Company, are desirous of being able to send in tenders for the making and laying of the cable either on the basis of a cash contract or on the principle of a guarantee of interest. I shall therefore be glad if your Agent-General will have forwarded to the company the specifications and form of tender for the making and laying of the cable. I may add this company made and laid the German-American Atlantic cable last year, and are now negotiating with the German Government for a subsidy to lay a cable between Samoa and Fiji. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Audley Coote.

No. 53. The Agbnt-Geneeal to the Hon. the Acting-Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 25th August, 1902. I beg to transmit herewith copy of "The Pacific Cable (Amendment) Act, 1902," substituting the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia for the Governments of the States of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria in " The Pacific Cable Act, 1901." I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. P. Beeves.

Enclosure in No. 53. "The Pacific ('able (Amendment) Act, 1902." Chapter 26. An Act to substitute the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia for the Governments of the States of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria in the Pacific Cable Act, 1901. [Bth August, 1902. Whebeas, as a consequence of the transfer to the Commonwealth of Australia (under the constitution of the Commonwealth) of the posts, telegraphs, and telephone departments in each of the States of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, any such obligation of the said States to provide money on account of the Pacific cable as is recited in the Pacific Cable Act, 1901, has been undertaken by the Government of the Commonwealth, and any right of the said States to share in the profits of the cable has become vested in the Commonwealth : And whereas it is expedient to make such amendments in the Pacific Cable Act, 1901, as are necessary for the purpose of substituting the Commonwealth for the said States : Be it therefore enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : — 1. (1.) The Government of the Commonwealth of Australia shall be substituted in the Pacific Cable Act, 1901, for the Governments of the States of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, and the Colonial Governments referred to in that Act shall accordingly be the Governments of Canada, of the Commonwealth of Australia, and of New Zealand. (2.) Two members representing the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia shall be substituted as members of the Pacific Cable Board in the Schedule to the said Act for two members representing the Governments of the States of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, and the Government of the Commonwealth may appoint two members accordingly to represent them on the Board, but, until the Government of the Commonwealth appoint a member in his stead, the Honourable Henry Copeland (the surviving representative on the Board of the Governments of the States) shall be one of the members of the Board representing the Government of the Commonwealth. 2. This Act may be cited as the Pacific Cable (Amendment) Act, 1902.

No. 54. The Secbetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Hon. Audley Coote, Sydney. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th August, 1902. I have the honour, by direction, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo, referring to a Press telegram about the alleged duplication of the Pacific cable from New Zealand to Queensland, and asking that Messrs. Felten, Guilleaume, of Carlswerk, Actien, Miilheim-am-Bhein, might be given an opportunity of tendering for the work. In reply, I have to inform you that an error has crept into the cable message, as the statement in the House of Bepresentatives was to the effect that the cable would be " duplexed." There is no present intention of duplicating it. I have, &c, The Hon. Audley Coote, Athenaeum Club, Sydney. W. Gray, Secretary. 3—F. 8.

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