THE CABLE CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4980, 9 March 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 wipe has already given us some brief, particulars of the Conference andits : results. In general these are stalled,by our Sydney,contemporary to,amount, to the rejection of the,propositions of,the delegates of each colony .respectively, gnd tbatnp! determination was come to as to duplicating the cable. ( It is said, however, to be hot improbable that ah arrangement may be coine. tp between New, ( South, iVictoria,„ and Sogth Australia for the dupHcation of the line from Singapore to Port Darwin, those’colonies undertaking the work On their own account, and thus in. effect agreeing with the recommendatioil of the’ Coiff^rence.,. / The .report of the sathe Conference,-after naming the members and tOe Governments /which accredited them presentatiyes of each, cplopy should undertake to, of the colonies which, they represented the ado'p-, tion of me)wnrestogive, effectto, thegesqlutjons fymeye^ci.As. the general 'effect,,of,the resolut’i()hs,;’Vs summarized above,' was to agree to nothing.#?. ,regarded,,.the ,ma-„ tenal points for which/the Conference had ■beejn sdmmoned;this,' prehminary' r resoiution , seeiris soiri ething likO a work ojf After discussing the/whole 'quOstioh of the An-, pliOatipri ■ of ..the cahle attd the; Various routes proposed,' the ; following resolutions were, after mature, deliberation, adopted . • 1. That it is, desirable f 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.„ .. ■ , / A. That.'ahy subsidy on ocean cables to con-. ,neqt Australia with Europe shall .be borne by the) /sevend 'Australian colonies.! assenting thereto, ih propdrtion'to population. ! .3. That the', loss (if /any)' on competing .colonial lines, to connect 'the cables the main telegraphic system of bach colony,‘shbuld in like manner be borne by all the colonies concerned.. Note.—Tasmania voted’ agginst, this resolution;. New, Zealand, Victoria/ and Western, Australia did dot Vote.' / 4- That inasmuch 'as it, has been decided that it is desirable to extend and improve the means of telegraphic, communication between Australia .arid Europe," by the duplication, Where necessary, of the cables or lines connecting the same, and that, the* subsidy on ocean cables to connect 1 Australia with Europe be 1 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 tho'United States of America. 2. That in such negotiations the Government of New. Zealand enter into communication with the Government of the United States, for the purpose of procuring their consent to contribute to the payment of any sub-, sidy that may 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 colonics, to urge upon the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company the necessity of keeping a repairing steamer between Banjoewangi and Port Dar-

wiii, to repair arty accident 1 to'that'pbrtiori-of the cable. :

5. That, havin’"' in view the serious annoyance'arill loss Occasioned by the mutilation of messages iri transmission through Java, the. President .of this. Conference be requested, on behalf, of the Australasian colonies represented, to communicate with, the Secretary .of-State, fori the purpose of obtaining permission from the (Government of Netherlands-Imlia to employ English , operators on the land lines in Java.’, 6. ' That the Governments of South Australia and New 1 .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 subsidy not exceeding £20,000 per annum, terminable at one year’s’irioticc; and that such subsidyibe borne by i the respective colonies.in proportion to (population—rany colony to be atliberty to withdraw on. like notice., [Note.7— The colonies of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia refrained-.frpm 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 lin Sydney, passed on the 10th’, February, 1873, for removing- 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 uniWtake^-provided. it is, approved .by, their respective Law -Officers—to endeavor to pass, intb 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 siinilar 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, Qnsen»for>.l, —“That, any duplicate system should be’ by a- distinct route throughout, from that now ini a?*.”-—was ucgiVtfVed/ . The colonies of New Zealand, TastmtSih,- ‘"rid Western Australia refrained from voting. A motion’ proposed by the representatives of South 1 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.- iii’:' " 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'showri that by such the communication with Europe'and Asia, is secured at a moderate cost as compared with other andaltemate routes which have been advanced;” but, after some discussion, the motion, with the, concurrence of the Conference; (was withdrawn. 1 '■ ■■ ' A -motion proposed by the representatives, of Queensland, —“That it is desirable,that asubmarine cable-should be laid' from Singapore to Gape 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.

The Conference discussed several' other questions, on which .no definite action was taken.