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No. 21. The Hon. the Premier, Wellington, to the Hon. the Premier, Adelaide. (Telegram.) Wellington, 29th March, 1898. 'Change of front Imperial authorities respecting Pacific cable inexplicable. Under altered circumstances will place matter before my Cabinet at early date and let you know result.

No. 22. The President of the Post and Telegraph Conference, Hobart, to the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral, Wellington. (Telegram.) Hobart, 2nd April, 1898. Conference awaiting telegram from Eastern Extension Company before dealing with Pacific-cable question. . . .

No. 23. The President of the Hobart Conference to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Hobart, sth April, 1898. Conference closed. In absence satisfactory proposal Eastern Extension alternative cable vid Africa unable to make fresh arrangements with company. Conference opinion Pacific-cable project should be consummated soon as possible. Governments of colonies requested represent to Imperial and Dominion Governments this opinion, with proposal Premier's Conference Britain and Canada one-third each, colonies other third.

No. 24. The Hon. the Premier, Wellington, to the Hon. the Premier, Adelaide. (Telegram.) Wellington, 7th April, 1898. Pacific cable : I much regret Imperial authorities have decided not to render financial assistance to Pacific cable. This Government does not intend taking any action re Cape project.

No. 25. The Secretary, Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, to the Hon. the Premier. Sir, — Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch, 18th April, 1898. With reference to the decision arrived at by the Hobart conference in favour of the cable vid Canada, I have the honour, by direction of my committee, to ask you to be good enough to indorse their action. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. Ollivier, Secretary.

No. 26. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 22nd April, 1898. I have the honour, by direction, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant with reference to the proposed Pacific cable, and, in reply, to inform you that the decision arrived at by the recent Intercolonial Postal Conference at Hobart will be indorsed by this colony. The Secretary, I have, &c, Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch. W. Gray, Secretary.

No. 27. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. S IR; Premier's Office, Wellington, 11th May, 1898. I have the honour to forward you a copy of the resolutions adopted at the recent Hobart Postal and Telegraph Conference in reference to the Pacific-cable question and the alternative proposals of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company for laying a cable between the Cape of Good Hope and Western Australia [see F.-3, 1898, p. 7], and to request you to be so good as to bring the resolutions under the notice of the Colonial Office with a strong expression of opinion from the Government of its earnest desire to see the Pacific-cable project adopted jointly by Great Britain, Canada, and the Australian Colonies on the basis indicated in the second resolution. Although the Imperial Government appears to have announced recently that it is not now disposed to support the Pacific-cable scheme, as for strategic reasons it favours the later proposals for a Cape of Good Hope-Western Australian cable, I am yet hopeful that the resolutions of the Hobart Conference may have such weight with the Imperial authorities as will induce them to reconsider the whole question and to assist the colonies in establishing cable-communication between Great Britain and Australasia by way of the Pacific and Canada in the general interests of commerce. 2—F. 8.