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2

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS.

Eeiday, Ist August, 1879. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Joyce, Mr. Barff, Mr. Macfarlane, Mr. Eeldwick, and Hon. Mr. Eisher. On motion of Mr. Macfarlane, Resolved, that Mr. Whitaker be appointed Chairman. The Committee then adjourned until Tuesday next, the sth August.

Tuesday, sth August, 1879. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Stevens, Mr. Feldwick, Mr. Pyke, Mr. Macfarlane, Mr. Joyce, Mr. Swanson, Mr. Barff, and Mr. McLean. The minutes of ihe last meeting were read and confirmed. Resolved, That the Chairman (Mr. Whitaker) being absent, Mr. Stevens do take the chair pro tern. Dr. Lemon and Mr. Feldwick, M.H.R., attended and gave evidence. (Vide Evidence.) On motion of Mr. McLean, Resolved, That Dr. Lemon proceed to make a statement of the arrangements between the Telegraph Department and the Press of the colony. On motion of Mr. Joyce, Resolved, That Dr. Lemon be requested to draw up a statement showing the relations of the Telegraph Department — 1. With the general public: the hours during which, and the terms under which, their wants are supplied: 2. With the Press of the colony as a whole : 3. With the firms known as the Press Association and Press Agency: and to state all particulars connected with the "special wire;" and to submit to the Committee any alternative system which, whilst it would not interfere with the public interests, would place all newspapers on an equal footing. (Vide Appendix.) On motion of Mr. Eeldwick, Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to write to Dr. Lemon, requesting him, if possible by to-morrow, to furnish this Committee with information as to the cost of providing communication by pneumatic tube, for the transmission of Press and other messages between the Parliament Buildings and the Wellington Offices. On motion of Mr. Feldwick, Resolved, That Mr. Gillon and Mr. McCarthy be summoned to attend the Committee to-morrow. The Committee then adjourned.

Wednesday, 6th August, 1879. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Whitaker, Mr. McLean, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Barff, Mr. Swanson, Mr. Macfarlane, Mr. Eeldwick, and Mr. Wakefield. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The Committee adjourned at ten minutes to 2 o'clock, and met again at 3 o'clock. Present: Mr. Whitaker, Mr Eeldwick, Mr. McLean, Mr. Macfarlane, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Barff. Dr. Lemon, Mr. Gillon, and Mr. McCarthy attended, and gave evidence. (Vide Evidence.) The Committee then adjourned till 10 o'clock to-morrow morning.

Thuesday, 7th August, 1879. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Macfarlane, Mr. Swanson, Mr. McLean, Mr. Wakefield, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Eeldwick. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Papers were furnished to the Committee by Dr. Lemon, and Messrs. Berry and Montrose. (Vide Appendix.) On motion of Mr. "Whitaker, Resolved — 1. That the evidence taken has satisfied this Committee that the " special-wire " plan does not work satisfactorily. 2. That some new arrangement upon the basis of the plan in force prior to the Ist January, 1879, is desirable. 3. That the difficulty in the way of making such arrangement is the agreement dated the 21st April, 1879, made between the representatives of certain newspapers and the Government for two years from the Ist January, 1879. 4. That there appears to be some doubt as to whether the Order iv Council of the 24th December, 1878, under which those agreements were made, is not invalid, as unauthorized by the 13th section of "The Electric Telegraph Act, 1875." 5. That, as a temporary arrangement, the Committee recommend that any of the parties to the agreement of the 21st April, 1879, should be allowed by the Government to withdraw therefrom ; and that they should be allowed to transmit Press messages at the word-rate charged to morning newspapers, such messages to be received up to the hour of 12.30 a.m., and transmission to close at 1 a.m. 6. That the time at the disposal of the Committee does not permit them to thoroughly investigate the subject and suggest a permanent plan for the future, and they recommend that a Committee should be appointed in the next session, to whom the whole subject should be referred.