F.—B.

No. 41. The Secbetaky, Pacific Cable Board, London, to His Excellency the Goveenob. Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S.W., My Lokd,— 14th May, 1902. I am instructed by the Pacific Cable Board to inform you that the Board have appointed Captain W. H. Lacey, late of the Western Brazilian and Amazon Telegraph Companies, to the command of their repairing-vessel now in course of construction. Captain Lacey will enter upon his duties early in July, and superintend the completion of the vessel. I am, &c, His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand. Hugh Latham, Secretary.

No. 42. The Hon. the Postmastee-Genekal, Wellington, to the Chaikman, Pacific Cable Board, London. General Post Office, Wellington, 14th May, 1902. Sib, — Pacific Gable Station Buildings and Water-supply at Doubtless Bay. Referring to your telegrams of the 3rd September last [No. 28, F.-8, 1902] and the 11th December following [No. 39, F.-8, 1902], I have the honour to inform you that the original estimate of the cost of the buildings has been exceeded by £200, as excavation, drainage, &c, not foreseen have had to be provided for. A further sum of £200, in addition to the £600 specially authorised for water-supply, has been found necessary. Mr. Keynolds has given provisional authority for the payment of these amounts ; and I shall be obliged if your Board will now give its formal sanction to the expenditure, which has been already incurred, and which, I am assured, was quite unavoidable. I have, &c, J. G. Waed, Postmaster-General. The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S.W.

No. 43. The Acting-Seoeetaby, Auckland Harbour Board, to the Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. Sib, — Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland, 11th June, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo [No. 108, P.-8, 1902], in further reference to the subject of refund of harbour and port dues payable by s.s. " Anglia," and informing me that the contractors for laying the Pacific cable would benefit by such refund and not your Department. In reply, I beg to inform you that your letter was read at a meeting of the Board held yesterday, when it was resolved, " That the application for refund of dues on cable-steamer ' Anglia ' be declined." I have, &c, M. H. Laied, Acting-Secretary. W. Gray, Esq., Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 44. Memoeandum on the Pacific Cable and the Telegeaph Seevice of the Empibe. (Bespeetfully submitted for the Information and Consideration of Members of the Coronation Conference by Sir Sandford Fleming.) Ottawa, June 14, 1902. 1. In the Canadian Parliament a few weeks ago the Honourable William Mulock, PostmasterGeneral, informed the members that a complication prejudicial to Canadian interests had arisen in connection with the Pacific cable. 2. Although this complication is distinctly traceable to the pronounced hostility to the Pacific cable of the Eastern Extension and associated telegraph companies, its immediate cause is due to the action of the Government of New South Wales in granting to the companies concessions materially affecting the financial outlook of the Pacific-cable scheme. 3. On December 31, 1900, the contract for establishing the Pacific cable was formally executed on behalf of the Home Government, the Governments of Canada, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand. Sixteen days afterwards the Government of New South Wales, without the consent of the five other Governments in the partnership arrangement or any of them, granted the telegraph companies under a formal agreement the concessions referred to. This agreement cannot be rescinded unless by mutual consent, and as the post and telegraph service has since the date of the agreement been transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia, New South Wales, even if she so desired, has not now the power to set aside her own act. The power has passed from her, and the Government of the Commonwealth, as the inheritor of the act, is bound by the agreement. 4. When in Australia last year Mr. Mulock had frequent interviews with the Eight Honourable Edmund Barton, Premier of the Commonwealth, by whom he was made aware of the peculiar circumstances of the case. Mr. Barton and his Government were placed in an extremely difficult position, for if the Commonwealth inherits the particular act referred to of New South Wales, it

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