THE CABLE CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4961, 15 February 1877, Page 3

THE CABLE CONFERENCE.

The Sydney Morning-Herald of Saturday, February 3, contains the full text of the report of the Cable Conference which recently assembled there. The telegraph wire has already given us some brief particulars of the Conference and its results. In general these are stated by our Sydney contemporary to amount to the rejection of the propositions of the delegates of each colony respectively, and that no determination was come to as to duplicating the.cable. It is said, however, to be not improbable that an arrangement may be come to between New. South Wales,, Victoria,, and South Australia for the duplication of the line from Singapore to Port Darwin, those colonies undertaking the work on their own account, and thus in effect agreeing with the recommendation of the Conference. The report of the same Conference, after naming the members and the Governments which accredited them respectively, unanimously agreed that the representatives of each colony should undertake to recommend to the Governments and Parliaments of the colonies which they represented the adoption of measures to give effect to the resolutionsarrived at by the Conference. As the general effect of the resolutions, as summarized above, was to agree to nothing as regarded ■ the material points for which the Conference had been summoned, this preliminary resolution seems something like a work of supererogation. After discussing the whole question of' the duplication of the cable and the various routes proposed, the following resolutions were, after mature deliberation, adopted :— r , '

1. That it is desirable to extend and improve the means of telegraphic communication between Australia and Europe, by the duplication, where necessary, of the cables or lines connecting the same. 2. That any subsidy on ocean cables to connect Australia with Europe shall be borne by the several Australian colonies assenting thereto, in proportion to population. 3. That the loss (if any) on competing colonial lines, to connect the cables with the main telegraphic system of each colony, should in like manner be borne by all the colonies concerned. Note.—Tasmania voted against this resolution. New Zealand, Victoria, and Western Australia did not vote. 4. That inasmuch as it has been decided that it is desirable to extend and improve the means of telegraphic, communication between Australia and Europe, by the duplication, where necessary, of the cables or lines connecting the same, and that the subsidy on ocean cables to connect Australia with Europe be borne by the several colonies assenting thereto in proportion to population : 1. The several Governments of South Australia, Queensland, and Western Australia be invited to open negotiations for the construction of cables connecting their several colonies with Singapore or Ceylon ; and the Government of New Zealand for the construction of a cable from that colony to the United States of America. 2. That in such negotiations the Government of Now Zealand enter into communication with the Government of the United States, for the purpose of procuring their con-

sent to contribute to the payment of -any subsidy that, mayl.be payable in respect of-the same ; and further, that in'all the negotiations of the several Governments the necessity of procuring a reduction of the present tariff rates be especially kept in view, the maximum rate being six shillings per word. 3. That in: the meantime the South Australian Government be requested, on behalf of the several colonies, to urge upon the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company the necessity of keeping a repairing steamer between Banjoewangi and Port Darwin, to repair any accident to that portion of the cable.

5. That, having in view the serious annoyance and loss occasioned by the mutilation of messages in transmission through Java, the President of this Conference be requested, on behalf of the Australasian colonies represented, to communicate with the Secretary of State, for the purpose of obtaining permission from the Government of Netherlands-India to employ English operators on the land Hues in Java. 6. That the Governments of South Australia and New South Wales be empowered to make arrangements with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company for a reduction of message tariff to six shillings per word, at a snbsidy not exceeding £20,000 per annum, terminable at one year's notice; and-that such subsidy be borne by the respective colonies in proportion to population—any colony to be at liberty to withdraw on like notice. [Note. —The colonies of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia refrained from voting on this resolution.] 7. That the several colonies agree to allow the necessary official telegrams of H.H.M. ships to pass over their respective lines free of charge. 8. That the Governments of Queensland and South Australia be requested to circulate among the respective Governments the draft Bills referred to in the resolutions of the Intercolonial Conference held in Sydney, passed on the 10th February, 1873, for removiug the defects in the law relating to the extradition of criminals, and the absconding of debtors, with a view to the same being submitted to the respective Legislatures as early as practicable.

The following are the resolutions referred to :—" That the present state of the law in regard to the extradition of criminals escaping from one colony into another is defective. That the Government of Queensland be requested to prepare a Bill on the subject, which the representatives of the several colonies undertake—provided it is approved by their respective Law Officers—to endeavor to pass into law." "That the present state of the law in regard to remedies to be had against absconding debtors is defective." "That the Government of South Australia be requested to prepare a Bill to remedy the defects, and, subject to the approval of their respective Law Officers, the members of this Conference will endeavor to procure the passing of a similar Bill in their respective Legislatures." 9. That in the opinion of the Conference, it is desirable that a uniform telegraph code should be adopted by the several Australasian colonies.

A motion proposed by the representatives of Queensland, —"That any duplicate system should be by a distinct route threughout from that now in use " —was negatived. The colonies of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia refrained from voting. ■ A motion* proposed by the representatives of South Australia, —"That this Conference approves of the construction of a duplicate line from Singapore to Banjoewangi"—was: also negatived; those in favour, of the motion being New South Wales, South Australia, and "Victoria. . . i A motion was also proposed by the representative ,of Western: Australia, —"That any duplicate of the present cables start from the. north-west coast of Western Australia, provided it is shown that by such the best communication with Europe and Asia is secured at a moderate cost as compared with other andalternate routes which have been advanced;", but, after some discussion, the motion, with the concurrence of the Conference, was withdrawn. A motion proposed by the representatives of Queensland,—" That it is desirable that a submarine cable should be laid from-Singapore to Cape York, in Queensland, the Government of that colony undertaking, in the event of such cable being laid, to connect their ■ existing land lines therewith"—was negatived. . Tasmania did' not. vote." • ,' ' ,Tr ' ■■■ The Conference discussed several other questions, on which no definite action was taken.