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paper to see if Queensland could not be induced to fall into line with the other Colonies. That Colony had been treated with every fairness and courtesy, and he did not think Queensland realised the amount of restraint and restrictions that her laws had imposed upon the press of all the other Colonies. He did not wish to force this on his hon. friend, but he thought, perhaps, that a few friendly remonstrances from his fellow Postmaster-Generals of the other Colonies would have some effect upon him. Hon. JOSEPH COOK : What have they been doing ? Hon. J. GAVAN DUFFY : Stopping all newspapers from the other Colonies coming into Queensland at the same rate as we allow Queensland newspapers to come into the other Colonies. Proceeding, Mr. Duffy said he did not wish to put a motion before the chair, but he trusted his hon. friend would have the matter thoroughly looked into. Though Queensland had not yet joined the proposed federation they trusted that she would do so soon. (Hear, hear.) In these days of federation it was hardly right for one Colony to stand aloof from its neighbours in postal matters. The PRESIDENT :We must have some definite motion before the Conference. It. had better be put that representations be made to Queensland —- Hon. J. GAVAN DUFFY would adopt the President's suggestion, and move— "That representations be made from this Conference to the Post Office authorities in Queensland, pointing out that the operation of their Suppression of Gambling and Indecent Advertisements and Post Office Acts in regard to newspapers published outside Queensland, and forwarded by post to that Colony, is a restriction upon the Australian press." In fact, newspaper proprietors sending newspapers into Queensland had to publish special issues before they could get them delivered in Queensland, or do as the Czar of Russia did with newspapers going into that country —blacken out a page ; and, in addition, Queensland imposed a much higher rate of postage on newspapers from outside than the other Colonies imposed on Queensland newspapers. iion. JOSEPH COOK could not see his way to support the motion in regard to Queensland suppressing gambling and indecent advertisements. Hon. J. GAVAN DUFFY : I want to include a representation to them to modify their postage rates on newspapers. Hon. JOSEPH COOK would second the motion for the sake of discussion. Hon. J. R. DICKSON said his Colony had endeavoured to suppress a growing spirit for gambling, especially among their youths, and the restrictions in these respects, and with respect to indecent advertisements which had been thus imposed, applied equally to newspapers published in Queensland as to those coming from outside. He recognised that the press of the other Colonies had met them very fairly in this matter, and had endeavoured to conform to the new legislation by excluding from the columns of their papers entering Queensland such advertisements as were objected to. Having the law before them, the Queensland postal authorities were bound to act up to it. As to the postal rates charged upon papers coming in from the other Colonies, that was a separate matter. Before the rates were altered the Colony was inundated with newspapers from the other Colonies, and which were carried gratuitously. The Colony was a large one, much of it was sparsely populated, and the distances were long, and so the cost thus incurred became too great. On that account it had been found imperative to charge for the newspapers at the rates now in force. Perhaps upon fuller consideration of the matter the Government of Queensland might, in the future, feel justified in modifying the restrictions at present imposed ; but when those special Acts were passed they became imperative by reason of the ever increasing demoralising tendencies of the advertisements objected to. At that time the Parliament might have gone to extremes, but such legislation was much required, and the respectable press, both of Queensland and the other Colonies, deserved to be thanked for the readiness with which they had conformed to the views of the Parliament of that Colony. Hon. J. G. JENKINS would support the Resolution if it was limited to a protest against the high postage rates charged in Queensland on Intercolonial newspapers. It would only be right that Queensland should have the same intercolonial postage rate. Hon. JOSEPH COOK thought that Queensland was to be congratulated on her Act against indecent literature and gambling. The efforts made in the other places to drive out gambling had resulted in sending it to another Colony. They ought not to do anything to hinder Queensland from continuing her crusade against gambling and indecent advertising; it was a step in the right direction. If the mover would eliminate certain matter from the Resolution, he would support it. The charges levied by Queensland on intercolonial newspapers at the present time was exorbitant. They charged 2c?. on certain Sydney weekly newspapers that were sent to that Colony ; that was a rate which specially applied to back-woodsmeti, as the newspapers referred to were largely availed of by people resident in the country. Hon. J. GAVAN DUFFY expressed pleasure at hearing that Queensland was not only so good as she claimed to be, but was also as good as she ought to be. He readily agreed that gambling to the extent that it had taken root in Australasia was becoming a public danger. W T ith regard to indecent advertising, they were all agreed that it should be put down. In reference to