they will be fully equal to vessels like the wellknown Majestic and Teutonic. As you will gather from the Blue Book which I enclose, containing the correspondence between the Government and Mr. Huddart, it has all along been understood that assistance would be required from Her Majesty's Government to supplement the subsidy that has been given by Canada; and this will also be apparent to you on perusing the proceedings of the Ottawa Conference, and Lord Jersey's report thereupon. In this connection I may mention also that the time originally specified for the completion of the contract had been extended by the Canadian Government in order to enable Mr. Huddart to obtain the decision of Her Majesty's Government.

4. In March, 1894, immediately after the contract was made, I was requested by the Canadian Government to render any possible assistance to Mr. Huddart by bringing the matter to the notice of the Imperial Government. As the consequence, there were several consultations between my colleagues, the Agents-General of the Australasian and South African Colonies, and myself, in regard to this and other matters of importance to the various colonies. We (excepting the Agents-General for South Australia and Western Australia) waited upon your predecessor by appointment on the 4th April, 1894, accompanied by Sir Thomas McIlwraith, a member of the Queensland Government, and the Hon. Robert Reid, a member of the Victorian Government, and were received by Lord Ripon and the Earl of Rosebery, the then Premier. Our representations were promised the

careful attention of the Government, and a promise was made that Her Majesty's Government would be represented at the then forthcoming Ottawa Conference. A newspaper report of the proceedings on that occasion is enclosed.

5. I attach for your information a copy of a paper I read before the Royal Colonial Institute in May, 1894, in which I referred to the matter.

6. The Earl of Jersey, in his report upon the conference, has dealt so fully with the fast Atlantic service, and has expressed so strongly the arguments in favour of the proposal, that I need only, at this point, recall his communication to your attention.

7. When the service is established, it will enable passengers and the mails to be conveyed to Canada, as well as to the United States, in less time than is at present occupied, this result being rendered possible by the advantage Canada possesses in her geographical position, in conjunction with the railway facilities that exist for rapid transportation to all parts of the Continent from the port of debarkation.

8. Although, as already mentioned, the efforts of the Canadian Government have not yet been successful in bringing the proposed fast service into operation on the Atlantic, considerable attention has, in the meantime, been devoted to the improvement of the means of communication, under the British flag, on the Pacific. After the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which, although an Imperial highway in the highest sense of the term, was constructed by Canada without any aid from the Imperial exchequer, the Canadian

Government, in conjunction with Her Majesty's Government, subsidised a fast steamship service between Vancouver, Japan and China, by which a considerable saving of time in transit has been effected, and a new and alternative route opened up.

9. A subsidy of £25,000 per annum is also being paid by Canada towards the service of steamers which is now plying regularly between Vancouver and Australasia. New South Wales contributes £10,000 per annum, and, as you will notice from the Times to-day, the New Zealand Government intend to subsidise the service to the extent of £20,000 per annum, in consideration of the steamer calling at a New Zealand port. Fiji also gives a small subsidy of £1,500 per annum.

IO. I have mentioned these facts to show what Canada is doing to create new and important steamship services to China and Japan, and to Australasia from this country via Canada, the new highways and alternative routes being rendered possible by the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway and to justify the application that has been made for a subsidy from the Imperial Government of £75,000 per annum, without which it would not be possible to complete the lines of communication in the way that is desired—especially so far as the Atlantic portion of the service is concerned.

II. The belief is entertained that the assistance of Her Majesty's Government will be the more readily granted in view of the fact that the steamers will be built under Admiralty supervision, and will thus be eligible for the subvention that is now granted

by the Admiralty to vessels of the kind. In addition, the vessels, from the fact of their speed and from the shortening of the time of their transit, would inevitably secure a considerable amount of extra postage on letters that are now forwarded by other routes; and, altogether, it is held to be more than a probable contingency that the entire subsidy asked for might be made available from the two sources that have been mentioned.

12. The belief is confidently entertained also, that if Her Majesty's Government come to the assistance of the scheme, and a satisfactory Atlantic service is established, it will induce the Governments of Australasia to come forward with substantial aid to enable the Pacific portion of the service to be made more frequent and more effectual than it is at present. It should be mentioned, however, that while the Atlantic and the Pacific services form parts of the new route, they are regarded at present as being more or less separate in regard to their organisation; but, at the same time, there is little doubt that the provision of a fast Atlantic service would very soon lead to the completion of the Pacific service on the basis originally proposed.

13. I feel that I need say no more to commend the proposal to your favourable consideration. Canada has shown the importance that it attaches to the service by the contribution that has been promised, in addition to the aid already given to the Japan, China and Australasian lines. The proceedings of the Ottawa Conference demonstrate the high importance with which the new route is

regarded in the different parts of the Empire, and the report of the Earl of Jersey is convincing as to the advantages that must follow from its establishment, viewed either from the commercial or political standpoint. In my judgment it is bound to have results of a very satisfactory nature, not only in adding to the strength of the Empire, but in developing its trade and commerce.

In view of all these considerations, I venture to hope that the proposition I have submitted to you may be regarded favourably by Her Majesty's Government, and that it may have the benefit of your powerful support.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,

(Sgd.) CHARLES TUPPER. THE RT. HON. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P., SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.

Colonial Office, Downing Street,

IIth November, 1895.

SIR,-A proposal was recently made that a deputation of the Agents-General for the Australasian Colonies and the High Commissioner for Canada should wait upon the Secretary of State for the Colonies with the view of discussing the question of the Pacific cable; but it was arranged at the beginning of September that, having regard to the meeting of Parliament and the consequent pressure of business, the interview should be deferred to a more convenient season.

Since then the position of the matter has been materially affected by the grant by the Hawaiian

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