A.—2

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Enclosures. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 16th January, 1886. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to forward, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the enclosed copy of a circular, No. 341, of the International Telegraph Office at Berne, dated the 13th November last, on the question of granting exemption from the payment of light and harbour dues for vessels engaged in cable-laying operations. It is the case, as the circular states, that this question was brought before the International Telegraph Conference held at Berlin in August last, by Mr. John Pender, and that the Conference decided that it was not one which it came within its province to discuss; but the suggestion was mado that the delegates of each State should bring the matter before their respective Governments, as it seemed to be one which should be regulated by legislation in each particular country. It will be seen that, at the instigation of the German Administration of Posts and Telegraphs, the matter is now brought forward by the International Telegraph Office. I am to state, for the information of Colonel Stanley, that the Board of Trade, being the department in this country to consider the question so far as it relates to the ports of the United Kingdom, have been communicated with, and I am to enclose a copy of the letter (and its enclosures) addressed to that department on the 23rd ultimo, together with a copy of the reply received from the Board, dated the 30th ultimo, from which it will be seen that they remain of the same opinion on the point as when they wrote to Mr. Pender on tho 30th December, 1881, the letter published in Parliamentary Paper No. 300, of session 1882, of which a copy is also enclosed. It appears, therefore, that, so far as the jurisdiction of the Board of Trade extends, the Board are not disposed to take any action in the matter ; but the question remains whether, as regards those British colonies on the shores of which submarine telegraph cables are landed, Colonel Stanley will be prepared to obtain the views of the respective Colonial Governments on the subject, or whether, having regard to the opinion of the Board of Trade, he would be indisposed to take any action in the matter; and lam to ask you to be so good as to obtain his decision. I am to request that the enclosed parliamentary paper may be returned to this department. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. C. H. B. Patey.

Moxsieue le DiKECTEuii-GExi:r.AL, — Berne, le 13 Novembre, 1885. Le Conference Telegraphique Internationale de Berlin, gui, dans sa seance dv 22 Aout dernier, avait etc saisie dune proposition de M. John Pendcr, en vue d'obtenir la franchise dcs droits de port pour les naviros charges de la pose ot de l'entretien dcs cables sous-marins, a pense quo l'examen de cetto question n'etait pas de sa competence. Toutefois, sur la demande dv President, S.E. M. le Secretaire d'etat de Stephan, la Conference a decide que chaque delegation saisirait son Gouvernement de la proposition de M. Pender dont la solution a semble etre dv ressort de la legislation interieure de chaque pays. 1/Administration dcs Postes et Telegraphes de l'Empire Allemand nous informe qu'en raison de l'interet considerable gui s'attaeho au fonctionnement regulier dcs conducteurs sous-marins, a leur entretien et au prompt retablissement dcs derangements auxquels ils sont exposes, et dans le but d'accorder aux cntrcprises de cables toutes les facilites possibles, elle vient de porter la proposition de M. Pender a la conuaissance dv Departement Imperial del Interieur, en le priantde soumettre la question k un examen detaille, ct do provoquer les inesures gui lvi paraitraient appropriees a la eirconstauce. Dans sa pensee, la question est dune importance si grande pour les communications telegraphiques internationales, qu'elle s'impose a l'attention dcs administrations telegraphiques en vue dune intervention analogue aupres de leurs Gouvernements respectifs. Pour me conformer au desir exprime par I'Administration Allemande, j'ai l'honneur de vous transmettre ces renseignements, en vous priant de vouloir bien vous reporter a cc sujet au procesverbal de la 3° seance (page 2), et de me faire connaitre, si vous ny voyez pas d'inconvenient, les suites que cette affaire aura re9u.es. Veuillez agrecr, &c, L. Cuechod, M. le Directour-General dcs Telegraphes. Le Directeur.

Bib,— General Post Office, 23rd December, 1885. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to ask you to be good enough to bring before the Board of Trade the circular, No. 341, of the 13th ultimo, from the International Telegraph Office at Berne, of which a copy is enclosed, upon the question of obtaining exemption from payment of light and harbour dues for ships engaged in submarine cable operations. As stated in the circular, the question was brought before the International Telegraphic Conference recently held in Berlin, but it was decided that it was not one that came within the competence of the Conference to discuss. Lord John Manners desires me to ask you to be good enough to remind the Board that, whilst the arrangements for holding the Paris Conference for the protection of submarine cables were in progress, a letter, dated the 12th December, 1831, was addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by the cable companies, setting forth the points which tho companies thought deserved consideration ; and I am to enclose an extract from that letter relating to the point now in question. •. 1 am also to enclose an extract from a letter addressed to the Foreign Office by this department on the sth October, 1882, stating the views of the Postmaster-General upon this question ; and I am to ask that, as the question raised in the enclosed circular, of each Government deciding separately whether cable ships should be exempted from light and harbour dues, so far as its own