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(10.) TELEGRAPH MESSAGES TO EUROPE AND INDIA. J. H. Haydon, Esq., to The Premier of Victoria. Sir, The Exchange, Melbourne, 27 November, 1883. I have the honor to forward to you the following extract from the minutes of the meeting of the Committee of this Chamber held yesterday. I have, &c, J. HAEEY HAYDON, Acting Secretary. Extract. The following resolution was unanimously adopted : — " That this Chamber desires to memorialize the Convention of Australasian Delegates, urgently requesting them to take into consideration the present prohibitive cost of telegraphic messages to Europe and India in connection with the offer of the Chairman of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company to reduce the charges, provided the Governments of the Australasian Colonies will pledge themselves to make good any loss of revenue occasioned by such reduction." J.H.H., A.S.

(11.) A. Bennett and J. H. Heaton, Esqs., to The President and Members of the Australasian Intercolonial Conference. Gentlemen, - Sydney, Nov. 29, 1883. We beg to submit for your consideration the following facts and propositions : — 1. That the present high rate for cable messages to and from Europe is prohibitory and hampers enterprise and business transactions generally. 2. That a second cable service is therefore required, and it should be owned by the Australasian Governments. [The present cables are entirely in the hands of European capitalists.] 3. That the combined Australasian Governments construct, at their own expense, but on borrowed capital, a telegraphic cable to England by the route suggested, in a valuable paper, by Mr. T. B. James, the Superintendent of Telegraphs for Victoria. This route avoids coral reefs, and is through deep and cool seas ; it branches off from Western Australia to the Mauritius and the Cape, thence to Cape St. Vincent and on to England. The messages would be accelerated by this line, for in place of thirty-three preparing stations we should have only ten. 4. The distance by the proposed route does not exceed 12,000 miles, and the cost at £250 per mile would amount to £3,000,000 sterling. The interest on this sum at 5 per cent, would only amount to £150,000 per annum, a small sum when divided among five or seven Colonies. 5. The receipts, by the parties at present interested, for cable messages between England and Australia, amounted last year to £225,567, and for this year they promise to exceed a quarter of a million. For Press messages alone £20,000 annually is paid. Tet the average number of all messages, each way, did not reach seventy per day from and to the Australasian Colonies. 6. We propose that the charge on the projected Government line be 2s. 6d. per word at first [although we are convinced that Is. per word would pay], and that the minimum charge be (for eight words) £1. By this arrangement business would be enormous, for hundreds of merchants and others, who are now prohibited by high charges, would use the cable, thereby saving months of time in correspondence by mail to and from England. It is a national work, and well worthy of the great representatives' attention who are now assembled in Conference. We have, &c, ALFKED BENNETT. J. HENNIKEE HEATON.

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