F.—3a.

" centum of the original capital cost of the construction of such company's " present lines of cable between Singapore and Batavia, and Banjoewangie " and Port Darwin, if they shall throughout such period maintain in " effective working order a separate line of telegraphic communication " between Port Darwin and British India. " (4.) That all subsidies which may be required for the construction or main- " tenance of ocean cables between British India and Australia should be " paid and borne by the several Australian Colonies in such proportions " as may be mutually determined." The following motions proposed by the Representative of Tasmania were negatived, Queensland and Tasmania voting for, and New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria voting against the motions, viz.:— " (1.) That the cables connecting New South Wales with New Zealand, " Tasmania with Victoria, and Port Darwin with Singapore, shall be " considered as ocean lines, forming one common system of telegraphic " communication between the Australasian Colonies and Europe. " (2.) That the cost of the subsidies now paid, or to be paid, towards those " cables be borne by the colonies benefiting by the same rateably in " proportion to their respective populations. " (3.) That South Australia be exempt from contribution to the line between " Port Darwin and Singapore, in consideration of her large outlay in " erecting and maintaining the trans-continental line of telegraph. " (4.) That, in the first instance, the populations of the several colonies, as " officially estimated on the 31st December 1876, shall be the basis of the " proportionate allotment of cost to each. " (5.) That such contributions shall be re-adjusted on the basis of the popu- " lations of the several colonies as shown by the next general census, and " thereafter once in every five years. " (6.) That New Zealand be invited to concur in the foregoing resolutions. *' (7.) That in case New Zealand declines to adopt the principle laid down in " Resolution No. 1, the other Australasian Colonies rejaresented at this " Conference consent to recognise the New Zealand cable as an ocean line " under the meaning of that resolution to the extent of the contribution " now paid towards its maintenance by New South Wales, viz., £2,500." The following motions proposed by the Representative of Queensland were also negatived, Queensland and Tasmania voting for, and New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria voting against the motions, viz. : — " That the Queensland lines of telegraph terminating at Kimberley, in the Gulf " of Carpentaria, be connected with the terminus of the Eastern Extension " Telegraph Company's cables at Port Darwin by means of a cable from " Kimberley to the mouth of the Roper River, and thence by a land line '' to Port Darwin. " That the land line from the Roper Eiver be constructed and maintained at the " cost of South Australia, and that so long as .such line shall be maintained "in full working order the other colonies shall pay to South Australia an " annual sum equal to six pounds per centum of the original capital amount " expended by that colony in the construction of such line. " That the cable between Kimberley and the Roper Eiver be constructed at "the joint cost of the different Australasian Colonies, except South " Australia, such colonies to contribute thereto in amounts proportionate "to their population as officially estimated on the 31st day of December "1877 ; and that the income derivable from such cable be set apart as a " reserve fund for the renewal thereof. " That the rate payable to South Australia for international messages trans- " mitted across the present trans-continental line be reduced to Is. per word. " That the rate to be charged by South Australia for international messages " between Port Darwin and the Roper River be 4d. per word.,

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