TORRES STRAITS MAIL SERVICE.

5

E.—No. 5,

the opportunity thus afforded for the exchange of commodities between Colonies of sueli varied resources as those of New Zealand and Queensland, would be greatly facilitated by the direct communication which would thereby be promoted. The New Zealand Government have already shown a desire to promote the interchange of Colonial productions, by proposals which are now under consideration ; and though it is to be regretted that the Government of Queensland will not, in all probability, be represented at the approaching Intercolonial Conference to be held at Sydney, it may with some confidence be anticipated that the Governments of the two Colonies, influenced as they are by a desire to promote the interests of the inhabitants of their respective Provinces, will be found willing to confer with one another in such subjects as these, in. which they are both vitally interested. Dependent as the Government of Queensland is at present upon the arrangements made by the Imperial Government with the approval of the older Southern Colonies of Australia, I could not recommend the adoption of a policy which might prematurely disturb our existing postal arrangements. Should, however, the Now Zealand Government be prepared to share wdth the Government of Queensland the cost of a mail service via Torres Straits, I would recommend that this Government should throw the whole weight of its influence into the adoption of the Torres Straits route, and that it should thereupon give notice of discontinuing its contributions to the service via King George's Sound. J. Douglas. General Post Office, 14th May, 1869.

No. 4s. The Hon. W. Gisboene to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey, Queensland. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 21st September, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, enclosing Memorandum of the Hon. the Postmaster-General, together with a copy of minute of proceedings of the Executive Council, and other enclosures. I regret that, owing to tho papers having been laid before a Select Committee of the House of Bepresentatives, which was sitting when they were received, an earlier reply was neglected to be sent. Tou refer in your letter to " certain information supplied by Mr. Bobert Tooth, intimating a wish on the part of the your Government to unite with the Government of this Colony in carrying out a monthly mail service with Great Britain via Torres Straits." It would, as far as lam aware of the circumstances, be more correct to say that Mr. Tooth led the Government of this Colony to suppose that it was your Government which desired its co-operation in establishing the Torres Straits route. Tho difference would be unimportant, excepting that it leads me to the explanation that this Government is without any information concerning the Torres Straits route, especially in regard to the probable cost. In the absence of such information, there was very little to submit to the Assembly. It is therefore not to be wondered at that, with no precise offer made by your Government, and with no knowledge, of even an approximate character, of the probable cost of the service, the Select Committee of the House of Bepresentatives did not report favourably on the subject. Subsequently, the House of Bepresentatives passed the enclosed Besolutions, from which you will perceive that, without specific reference to the Torres Straits route, the House expressed itself favourably to the San Francisco Service. The Torres Straits proposal, as far as this Colony is concerned, is therefore closed for the present, but Ido not think that therefore it should be entirely lost sight of. If your Government would take steps to arrive at a conclusion concerning the cost of the service, its speed, and other details, and upon them make a distinct offer to this Colony, the Government, if the cost were reasonable, might see its way, especially if the San Francisco negotiations prove unfavourable, to recommending the acceptance of the offer to the Assembly. lam strongly of opinion that if any practical result is to come from the proposals, it would be preferable that your Government should enter into the contract, and make a subsidiary agreement with this Colony, than that the Colonies should jointly contract. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Queensland. W. Gisboene. P.S. —Since writing the above, my attention has been drawn to a series of Besolutions agreed to apparently between the New South Wales and Queensland Governments, on the subject of steam communication with Europe via Torres Straits. It would be premature to discuss this new phase of the question until I receive a communication from you respecting it —especially so, as the whole subject of the Ocean Steam Postal Service is to be submitted to the consideration of the Conference to be held in Sydney next month. W. Gisboene.