The Evening Star MONDAY OCTOBER 23, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2709, 23 October 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY OCTOBER 23, 1871.

Although New Zealand was not represented at the Inter-Colonial Conference held in Melbourne, the proceedings were not less interesting to us, so far as they bear upon the wellbeing of the Colony. The discussions in which the whole of the Australasian group of Colonies is interested were on two subjects—postal and fiscal. On the first the representatives of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, arrived at a decision to support two postal lines : one via San Francisco, and the other by way of Suez. The estimated cost was £123,000, and it was proposed that the Colonies should contribute towards that amount, respectively, in proportion to their populations. Based on this calculation, and assuming New Zealand to stand aloof, the estimate was as follows: — Victoria, with a population exclusive of aborigines of 728,700, would pay £54,958 13s 3d ; New South Wales, population 501,000, contribution £37,827 9s 5d ; South Australia, 185,600, £13,999 Os ; Queensland, 115.000, £8,072 18s 2d ; Tasmania, 100.000, £7,541 13s 2d. The sum was fixed upon on the assumption that the Imperial Government would pay half the cost of the two Services. Under the idea, however, that ultimately New Zealand might form one of the contributing Colonies, a fresh scale was prepared on the estimate that our white population numbers 250,400. In that case the subsidy would be as follow :—Victoria, £47,492 11s 2d ; New South Wales, £32,088 12s 9d ; South Australia, £12,097 ; Queensland, £7,494 14s ; Tasmania, £0,517 3s ; New Zealand, £10,709 9s 4d. The scheme proposes that Melbourne shall be the terminus of the San Francisco route, and Sydney that of the Suez, and that both services shall deliver the mail between London and those ports in 48 days. The Government of the United States, by the agreement, is to be asked to contribute its quota, so that*the expense may be lessened. There was another proposition by the Victorian Government for a service by the Cape of Good Hope, which was not entertained by the Conference, nor was that suggested by the delegates from Queensland, of a route via Batavia. There was some conversation about amnging for a temporary service with our San Francisco Postal Service, but for reasons not stated, or for no reason at all, the delegates from New South Wales refused to negotiate on the basis of the New Zealand contract. These New South Wales delegates appear to have been either limited in their powers or their information, for in a subsequent discussion about border duties, they claimed something like twice the amount that on a fair calculation they were entitled to, and refused to listen to fair and reasonable concessions. Our readers will remember the substance of Lord Kimberley’s dispatch concerning the power claimed by the Government of New Zealand to enter into fiscal arrangements with foreign countries. Ho pointed out the objections to allowing independent action in a clear and forcible manner, and shewed that while the Imperial Government conceded the power to impose import duties to every Colony, differential duties, intended to favor special countries, could not be permitted, as they might, and most probably would, clash with commercial treaties entered into by the Mother Country. The delegates from Queensland declined to discuss the question, their mission being limited to postal matters, but the remaining members of the Conference proceeded to deal very unceremoniously with it, and passed the following preamble and resolutions :

The delegates from the Governments of New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, and Victoria, iu conference assembled, having had under their- consideration Lord Kimberley’s circular despatch of the I3th July, 1871, have unanimously adopted the following resolutions : 1. That the Colonics claim to enter into arrangements with each other, through their respective Legislatures, so as to provide for the reciprocal admission of their respective products and manufactures, either duty free or on sucb term# as jpay be mutually agreed upon. 2. That no treaty entered into by the Imperial Government with any foreign power should in any way limit or impede the exercise of such right. 3. That Imperial interference with intercolonial fiscal legislation should finally and absolutely ccasc.

4. That so.much of any Act or Aets of the Imperial Parliament as may be considered to prohibit the full exercise of such right should be repealed. 5. That these resolutions, together with a memorandum from each Government, or a joint memorandum from such Governments as prefer to adopt that metho 1, shall be transmitted to the Secretary of Stat • through the Governors of our Colonies respectively. Signed at Melbourne this 27th day of September, a. d. 1871. James Martin. Attorney-General and Premier ; Geo. W. Lord, Colonial Treasurer ; Joseph Docker, Post-master-General, —New South Wales. J. M. Wilson, Colonial Secretary and Premier; James Dunn, M.E.C., — Tasmania. John Hart, Treasurer and Premier; William Milne, Chief Secretary; W. Morgan, M.L.C., —South Australia. C. Gavan Duffy, Chief Secretary and Premier; Graham Berry, Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs, —Victoria. In view of the names appended to this document, we should have expected something more statesmanlike. The claim put forward is not the right to enter into any treaties whatsoever; hut merely that the Colonies may enter into arrangements with each other. This would hardly meet the desire of New Zealand to enter into a reciprocity treaty with the United States ; a proposition which drew from Lord Kimberley the letter commented upon by the Conference,