F.—B

4

The Hon. J. G. Ward and the Hon. the President also addressed the Conference, when, upon the motion of the Hon. B. Stafford Bird, the debate was adjourned until Wednesday next. The Hon. John Gavan Duffy then moved, and the Hon. J. G. Ward seconded the motion, That the Conference adjourn until Wednesday, at 11 o'clock. Carried.

Executive Council Chamber, Sydney, 4th Maech, 1891. Present: New South Wales—The Hon. Daniel O'Connor, M.P., Postmaster-General (President); S. H. Lambton, Esq., Secretary to the Post Office Department; E. C. Cracknell, Esq., Superintendent of Telegraphs. Victoria—The Hon. John Gavan Duffy, M.P., Postmaster-General; James Smibert, Esq., Deputy Postmaster-General. South Australia—The Hon. Sir John Bray, K.C.M.G., Chief Secretary; Charles Todd, Esq., C.M.G., M.A., E.E.S., Postmaster-General. Queensland—The Hon. Theodore Unmack, M.P., Postmaster-General; John McDonnell, Esq., Under-Secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department. Tasmania —The Hon. B. Stafford Bird, M.P., Treasurer and Postmaster-General; Eobert Henry, Esq., Superintendent of Telegraphs. New Zealand—The Hon. J. G. Ward, M.P., Postmaster-General; William Gray, Esq., Secretary to the Post Office and Telegraphs. W Testern Australia—The Hon. Sir John Bray, K.C.M.G., acting representative. The Conference having assembled at 11 o'clock, the minutes of the proceedings of the 2nd instant were read and confirmed. The Hon. John Gavan Duffy gave the following notice of motion for next meeting: That it is advisable that the system of dealing with letters relating to racing-sweeps and betting-transac-tions should be uniform throughout Australasia. The Hon. J. G. Ward then proposed the adjournment of the Conference until Friday, at 10 o'clock, in order that the heads of departments might bring up reports on several matters affecting postal and telegraphic business referred to them on the 27th ultimo. Carried unanimously.

Executive Council Chamber, Sydney, 6th March, 1891. Present: New South Wales—The Hon. Daniel O'Connor, M.P. Postmaster-General (President); S. H. Lambton, Esq., Secretary to the Post Office Department; E. C. Cracknell, Esq., Superintendent of Telegraphs. Victoria —The Hon. John Gavan Duffy, M.P., Postmaster-General; James Smibert, Esq., Deputy Postmaster-General. South Australia —The Hon. Sir John Bray, K.C.M.G., Chief Secretary; Charles Tocld, Esq., C.M.G., M.A., F.E.S., Postmaster-General. Queensland —The Hon. Theodore Dnmack, M.P., Postmaster-General; John McDonnell, Esq., Under-Secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department. Tasmania —The Hon. B. Stafford Bird, M.P., Treasurer and Postmaster-General; Bobert Henry, Esq., Superintendent of Telegraphs. New Zealand—The Hon. J. G. Ward, M.P., Postmaster-General; William Gray, Esq., Secretary to the Post Office and Telegraphs. Western Australia—The Hon. Sir John Bray, K.C.M.G., acting representative. The Conference having assembled at 10 o'clock, the minutes of the proceedings on the 4th instant were read and confirmed. The debate upon the subject of entering into an agreement with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company was resumed, and, after full discussion, in which all the representatives took part, the Hon. Sir John Bray, with the permission of the Conference, withdrew his motion, in favour of a motion proposed by the Hon. John Gavan Duffy, to refer the draft agreement to a committee consisting of the representatives of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, who agree to become parties to the contract. The Hon. B. Stafford Bird then read a telegram from the Premier of Tasmania on the subject of a representation made by Mr. Audley Coote, relating to the telegraph cables, which was ordered to be printed. Mr. Lambton laid before the Conference progress reports of heads of departments on various subjects referred to them, which was ordered to be printed. The Hon. John Gavan Duffy moved, That the reports be taken into consideration at the next meeting. With the permission of the Conference, the Hon. John Gavan Duffy postponed the consideration of the motion of which he had given notice on the subject of appointing representatives to the Vienna Congress. The Hon. John Gavan Duffy then moved, That, in the opinion of the Conference, the time has arrived when a uniform rate of postage for letters of Id. per -J-oz. should be adopted through the whole of Australasia." And after discussion, in which all the representatives took part, he withdrew the motion. The Hon. John Gavan Duffy laid before the Conference a report upon the probable result to the Australasian Colonies of the adoption of a universal rate of Id. per -Joz. for inland and intercolonial postage, which was ordered to be printed. The Hon. John Gavan Duffy then proposed the motion of which he had given notice, as follows : " That it is advisable that the system of dealing with letters relating to racing-sweeps and betting-transactions should be uniform throughout Australasia," which was carried, the President dissenting. The Conference then went into Committee on the subject of the draft agreement with the Eastern Extension Company, when the same having been considered and altered in certain particulars was adopted. The Conference having resumed, the Hon. John Gavan Duffy laid before the Conference a memorandum of agreement between the colonies contributing to the guarantee to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, which was ordered to be printed. The report and recommendations of the heads of departments was then brought up, and the further consideration thereof postponed until next meeting. The Conference adjourned until to-morrow at 10 o'clock.