R—3a

10

Sir James Wilson, after some discussion, with the permission of the Conference, postponed all the above resolutions standing in his name until after the consideration of his resolution No. 10. Sir James Wilson then moved the following resolution, No. 10, as amended by permission of the Conference :—■ That the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria be empowered to enter into an agreement and contract with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company for a second cable from Singapore direct to Banjoewangie, avoiding the Java land lines, and thence direct to Port Darwin, for an annual subsidy of not exceeding £32,400. Discussion ensued.—Motion put and carried ; Queensland not voting. Mr. Burns thereupon moved, seconded by Sir James Wilson— That such subsidy shall be payable for a period of not more than twenty years, and that in consideration thereof the said company —■ (1.) Shall, throughout the whole of the period during which such subsidy shall be payable, maintain in full working order such second cable, and also its present lines of cable between Singapore and Batavia, and Banjoew raugie and Port Darwin. Discussion ensued.—Motion carried without dissent. (2.) Shall, before such subsidy shall become payable, lay a second cable between Singapore and Penang, and thereafter shall maintain the same, and its present lines of cable botwen Singapore and Penang, Penang and Madras, Madras and Rangoon, in full working order. Motion carried without dissent. (3.) That the rate per word to be charged by the said company for messages between Port Darwin and Madras, and Port Darwin and Rangoon shall not exeed—for all messages of the Governments of the colonies contributing to the subsidy and press messages to or for such colonies, shillings; for other messages, shillings. After discussion, the further consideration of this motion was, by leave, postponed. Sir James Wilson then moved the resolutions standing in his name, 1 to 9, as above. Discussion ensued, and further consideration of the resolutions was postponed until next day. Air. Mem, with the permission of the Conference, postponed to a future day the consideration of the following resolution, of which he had given notice :— That the representatives of each colony shall undertake to recommend to the Government and to the Parliament of the colony wliich they represent the adoption of measures to carry out all the resolutions to which they may have given their assent. Sir James Wilson moved tho following resolution, pursuant to notice :— That it shall be competent for any member of the Conference to submit for discussion any question of intercolonial interest other than that of telegraphic communication with Europe. Cairied unanimously. Mr. Mem, Sir James Wilson, Mr. Burns, and Mr. Cuthbert gave notice of motions for the following day. The Conference adjourned at half-past three o'clock until eleven o'clock the following day. GRAHAM BERRY, President.

16th MAY 1878. Present : The Hon. Graham Berry, in the Chair; The Honorable J. F. Burns, The Honorable J. P. Boucaut, The Honorable C. S. Mem, C. Todd, Esq., C.M.G., The Honorable Sir J. M. Wilson, The Honorable H. Cuthbert. The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Discussions ensued on the following resolutions of Sir James Wilson, the consideration whereof had been postponed on the last day's sitting :— (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 populations 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 represented at this Conference consent to recognize 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.