F.—No. 4.

24

REPORT OE THE SUBMARINE

lII.—CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE NEW ZEALAND COMMISSIONERS AND MESSRS. HENLEY, &c. For this correspondence, vide Parliamentary Paper, E. No. 6, 1870.

IV.—CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR OP NEW ZEALAND AND COMMODORE LAMBERT. NO. 13. Sir, — Government House, Auckland, 14th March, 1870. At the request of my responsible advisers, I have the honor to transmit to you a memorandum presented to me by them, on the subject of a proposed submarine line of telegraph between New Zealand and New South Wales, towards the surveying of which they ask for such assistance as it may be within your power to afford them. I have, Ac, Commodore Lambert, C.8., &c, G. F. Bowen. H.M.S. " Challenger," Wellington. P.S.- —I have told the Colonial Treasurer (Mr. Vogel), who is about to proceed to Wellington,, that I have no doubt you will be ready to give him every advice, but that I apprehend that the ships under your command are already too few for the services required of them. —G. F. B.

Enclosure. Memoeandum by Ministers. Ministers respectfully represent to His Excellency the desirability of moving the Commodore to give what assistance he can towards a survey for a submarine line of telegraph between New Zealand and New South Wales. If necessary, a representation might bo made to the Admiralty, to the effect that the work is one of Imperial moment. Julius Vogel, Auckland, 14th March, 1870. Postmaster-General.

No. 14. Sic— H.M.S. " Challenger," at Wellington, 22nd March, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter of the 14th instant,, forwarding a memorandum on the subject of a proposed submarine line of telegraph between New Zealand and New South Wales, towards the surveying of which assistance is asked, such as it may be within my power to afford ; and, in reply, I have to acquaint your Excellency that I shall forward your letter, and its enclosure, for the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. I am sorry to inform you that, at present, owing to the small number of ships under my command, and the numerous duties they have to perform on so large a station as this is, I am unable to afford that assistance I should otherwise have been pleased to render. I have, &c, Eowlex Lambeet, His Excellency Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G., Commodore and Senior Officer, Auckland.

V.—EASTERN OCEANIC COMPANY. No. 15. Sic,— 41, King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 25th May, 1870. I have the honor to lay before your Excellency, for the consideration of your Government, the enclosed proposals from the promoters of the Eastern Oceanic Telegraph Company, London, as a basis for carrying out an entire scheme of telegraphic communication between Australia and Ceylon. It is not requisite for me to say anything in favour of telegraphic communication with Europe, the necessity for which is universally recognized, and has become more than ever urgent since the regular working of the cable joining Europe with America. As arrangements have already been made for the establishment of one line of telegraph via Brisbane, the North coast, and Port Darwin, the promoters are of opinion that their proposed line via the South and AVest coasts should be protected from any other competing line, by that route, for a certain number of years, because they feel assured, if there were more than two lines to Australia, the business would be so divided that, for many years, none of the lines would be likely to pay. I have the honor, furthermore, to inform your Excellency that arrangements have been actually made for the construction of the cable, conditional on the concessions being obtained, and that the Company will be prepared to carry out their scheme, as set forth in the said proposals, at the cost of £840,000. I would further state that I. am empowered by the Company to enter into negotiations with your Government relative to any alterations or modifications of such proposals; and I have also authority for saying that it is almost certain that the Government of Western Australia will join in the scheme, and give their guarantee to the extent of 1 per cent.; and, furthermore, that in the event of tho South Australian Government interest in the northern territory preventing that Colony joining in this scheme, arrangements can be made to take the cable from King George's Sound direct to Cape Otway, Victoria, and that the Company would bo prepared to lay a cable from Victoria to New Zealand on the same terms.