F.—B,

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No. 17. The Right Hon. the Secretary op State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord, — Downing Street, 12th January, 1912. - With reference to my despatch of the 17th August, I have the honour to transmit to your -Lordship, for communication to your Ministers, the accompanying copies of the Pacific Cable Act, 1911, of the Imperial Parliament. I have, &c, L. Harcourt. Governor the Eight Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c. [P.O. Fin. and Constr. 12/51.]

Enclosure in No. 17. (1 & 2 Geo. 5.) Pacific Cable Act, 1911. (Ch. 36.) Chapter 36. An Act to extend the Pacific Cable Act, 1901. (16th December, 1911.) Be it 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 Pacific Cable Board may, with the approval of the Treasury, apply out of their reserve fund such sums as may be required for the purpose of any works authorized under this Act: Provided that the sums standing to the credit of that reserve fund are not at any time thereby reduced below the sum of one hundred thousand pounds; and that the Pacific Cable Board shall pay to the reserve fund as part of the annual expenses of the Pacific cable in each year, in accordance with regulations approved by the Treasury, such sums as may be sufficient to repay any moneys so applied in thirty-five years, with interest at the rate of three and a half per cent, per annum. (2.) Sections three to seven of the Pacific Cable Act, 1901, shall be read as if references to the Pacific cable included references to any works authorized under this Act, and as if references to the payment of annuities created under that Act included references to payments to the reserve fund required under this Act. 2\ (1.) The works authorized under this Act are a submarine cable between Australia and New Zealand, as already sanctioned by the contributing Governments, and any other extensions, connections, or rearrangements in or near the Pacific Ocean which, in the opinion of all the contributing Governments, are necessary or expedient for the improvement of the Pacific Cable Board's undertaking. (2.) The reserve fund means in this Act the reserve fund established under the authority of the Treasury by the Pacific Cable Board. (3.) The contributing Governments mean in this Act the Governments represented , on the Pacific Cable Board, namely : His Majesty's Government, the Government of Canada, the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Government of New Zealand. 3. This Act may be cited as the Pacific Cable Act, 1911.

No. 18. The High Commissioner to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Sir, — Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London S.W., 16th February, 1912. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd December last, giving particulars of the arrangements confirmed by you with Mr. Milward with regard to the new cable between New Zealand and Australia. I have accordingly informed the Chairman of the Pacific Cable Board of these arrangements, and have directed his attention to your observations with reference to the need of urgency in the matter. Tenders are due on the 26th instant. ******* I take this opportunity of enclosing two copies of the Pacific Cable Act, 1911 (eh. 36), of the Imperial Parliament, authorizing the construction of the new cable. I have, &c, Wμ. Hall-Jones. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.C. Fin. and Constr. 12/61.] ______^^_^^______

No. 19. The High Commissioner to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Sir, — Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London S.W., sth March, 1912. Referring to my letters of the 2nd ultimo [not printed] and 16th ultimo, I have now the honour to enclose copy of a letter from the London Manager and Secretary of the Pacific Cable Board, giving, for your information, particulars with regard to the letting of the contract for the suppty and laj'ing of the Auckland-Sydney and the Doubtless Bay-Auckland cables. It will be seen that the successful tenderers were the Indiarubber and Guttapercha Company (Limited), Silvertown, their tender being the lowest. I have, &c, Wμ. Hall-Jones. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington, New Zealand. TP. C. Fin. and Constr. 12/90.] [Acknowledged, 29th April, 1912.]