F.—B

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No. 34. The Hon. the Peemiee, Sydney, to the Hon. the Peemiee, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, Ist March, 1895. Would explain that message of 13th forwarded suggestion made Premier, Canada, for a commission to meet in London at once three Commissioners—one Imperial, one Canada, one Australian Colonies. Am anxious to send reply to Ottawa. What are your views? Have no knowledge of any expression of opinion by Mr Ward.

No. 35 The Hon. the Peemiee, Wellington, to the Hon. the Peemiee, Sydney (Telegram.) Wellington, 21st March, 1895. Youe telegram 13th February Agree joint Commission , but this colony proposes to be separately represented.

No. 36. The Hon. the Peemiee to Mr. Sandfoed Fleming. Sib,— Premier's Office, Wellington, 27th March, 1895. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your unofficial letter of the 7th January last on the subject of the Pacific cable. I have duly received the Hon. Mr Ives' letter of the same date, and it, with its enclosures and your present letter, will receive the most careful consideration of my Government. I have, &c, Sandford Fleming, Esq., C,M.G., Ottawa, Canada. E. J Seddon

No. 37 Mr Laekb, Commercial Agent of Government of Canada, Sydney, to the Hon. the Pbemiee. Office of Commercial Agency of Government of Canada, Burns, Philp, and Co.'s Building, Sm,— Bridge Street, Sydney, 10th May, 1895. I beg to enclose a copy of a letter from Sir William van Home re the Pacific cable, which lam instructed by the Canadian Government to transmit to you. Some time since I forwarded a letter from Mr Fleming, and statements showing the necessity of early action and the financial prospect of the cable. This shows its value as a medium of speedy communication. I trust your Government may see its way clear to at least instruct your Agent-General to co-operate with the representatives of the other colonies, as suggested in my previous note. I have, &c, The Hon. B. J Seddon, Premier, Wellington, New Zealand. J. S. Laeke.

Enclosure in No. 37 The Peesidbnt, Canadian Pacific Eailway Company, to Mr Sandfobd Fleming. The Canadian Pacific Eailway Company, Montreal, sth April, 1895. Dear Mr. Fleming,— In answer to your inquiries about the Canadian Pacific telegraph system, and its availability as a connection between the proposed Pacific cable and the Atlantic cables, permit me to state that the Canadian Pacific Eailway Company has had, since 1886, in successful operation a system of telegraphs along all of its lines of railway, and, directly or by means of its connection with the Postal Telegraph Company and the Pacific Postal Telegraph and Cable Company, reaches all important points in Canada and in the United States, and, by means of its connection with the three trans-Atlantic cables of the Commercial Cable Company, enjoys the best possible facilities for handling European business. With their present facilities, the Canadian Pacific and Commercial Cable Companies could easily transmit to and from Great Britain and the Continent of Europe five million words of Pacific cable messages a year The Canadian Pacific telegraph-wires are of high conduccivity, and, if the business warranted it, the trans-Continental wires could be worked directly, and, under any circumstances, only one repetition would be necessary between the points of connection with the Pacific and the Atlantic cables. Its lines, moreover, reach the landing-places on the Atlantic coast of the other eight trans-Atlantic cables, and it is able to deliver business to all of them. On several occasions conversations have been held between London and Vancouver with a single repetition at Canso, and replies received between these two points almost instantaneously The company's telegraph-lines run along its own railway, and the facilities for quickly repairing any breaks that may occur are exceptional. It has, moreover, through its connection with the postal and Pacific postal lines, an alternative telegraph route across the continent always available in an emergency A very large percentage of the cable business now transmitted between San Francisco and other American Pacific coast points and Europe, Asia, Australia, &c, is handled vid Vancouver and this company's trans-Continental line. I have no doubt that a combination between the Canadian Pacific Postal and Pacific Postal