F.—No. 4.

REPORT OE THE SUBMARINE

16

Mr. Fraser, of Batavia, has also addressed the Governments of the Australian Colonies on the same subject, and has furnished them with detailed information in connection with his project. His scheme involves an outlay of half a million, and for the purpose of obtaining this money it is proposed that a guarantee should be granted, to be equally divided between the Dutch Government and the Governments of the Australian Colonies. Mr. Fraser is at present in London, and anticipates that the Dutch Government will grant him the concession he requires, which has been recommended by tho Government of Netherlands-India. The views entertained by tho Governments of the Southern Australian Colonies, in reference to the respective merits of the rival schemes, are at present not quite in accordance with those held by the Governments of New South Wales and Queensland, but it is believed that an examination of the conditions attached to both will result in the conviction that tho proposed line via Queensland and Java recommends itself as, at present, the most practicable and economical. To remove, however, any hesitation which may be felt by the Southern Colonies, and as a recognition of the confidence which the Governments of the Colonies of Queensland and New South Wales have in Mr. Eraser's project, it is suggested that these two Colonies should, if necessary, undertake the joint responsibility required, such guarantee not to exceed £17,500 per annum. This should be done, not for the purpose of securing any exclusive benefit, but for the purpose of facilitating the arrangements subsequently to be entered into with Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, with a view to the establishment of a ratable and proportionate guarantee, to be borne by them on a scale graduated in accordance with the business transacted on their behalf. It is agreed that the Government of Queensland undertake tho construction of the land line to Normanton, or some other point on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria to be afterwards determined on. It will, of course, be necessary that the guarantors should have a voice in fixing the scale of charges payable on the section between Australia and Java, to be from time to time subject to revision. The views embodied in this memorandum, it is agreed by Mr. Eobertson and Mr. Douglas, shall be submitted to their respective Cabinets. John Eobeetson. J. Douglas. Sydney, oth October, 1869. No. 10. Sic, — Brisbane, Queensland, 16th October, 1869. Eeferring to your letter of the 27fh ultimo, respecting the Intercolonial Conference proposed to be held at Sydney, and suggesting the 26th proximo as a convenient time for such meeting, I have the honor, in reply, to state that, owing to your communication having unfortunately reached this Colony at a time when nearly the whole of the members of the Executive, including the Vice-President, were absent from Brisbane, no definite decision upon the subject has yet been arrived at. I may, however, state that the latter end of November would be more convenient for the representatives of this Colony than the time fixed by you, and should the meeting be held about the time suggested, delegates from this Colony would probably attend. In consequence, however, of no definite proposals having been received from you during the sitting of Parliament, this Government did not invite the opinion of the Legislature upon the subject, and consequently any final proposals of tho Conference could not be assented to by this Government until the opinion of the Queensland Parliament had been first obtained. I have, &c, F. B. Stephens (for the Colonial Secretary). No. 11. Papee read by Mr. E. C. Cracknell, Superintendent of Electric Telegraphs, " On the Electric Telegraph between England and India, and how to connect the Australian Colonies with the telegraphic systems of Europe and America," before the Eoyal Society of New South Wales. The time having now arrived for the joint and energetic action on the part of the Australian colonists to secure to themselves the benefits to be derived from telegraphic communication with the whole world, I propose to place before you this evening, in as concise a form as possible, the progress already made, and what remains to be done to attain the object we are all more or less interested in. As you are aware, the telegraph has, for several years, been in operation between England and our East Indian possessions, as far as Eangoon and Moulmein, and, of late, so satisfactorily that telegrams have been despatched from Calcutta and Bombay, arriving in London within a few hours. Now, as the lines in daily work cover more than four-fifths of the distance between England and Australia, but little is required of us, and that little, as I will presently show, can be secured at a mere nominal outlay. To commence with, there are three distinct means of communication greater part of the way to India. One, which we will call the Submarine Company's circuit, via Paris, Turin, down the eastern coast of Italy, Brindisi, or Otranto, across the Adriatic to Valona, and Salonica to Constantinople. Another, the Electric and International route, that Company's messages being transmitted through one of their cables to the Hague; from thence either via Berlin or Frankfort to Vienna, Belgrade, and Constantinople. The third route is through Eussia, which at present is, I believe, but little patronized. The messages by this circuit find their way to Berlin through one or other of the Eussian circuits to Tiflis; and on through the Persian system to Bushire. But to return to Constantinople, where the telegrams transmitted by the two English Companies converge, they are then taken in hand by the Indo-Ottoman Convention, and are sent on by an