such a material degree as I have no doubt will result in promptly securing the establishment of this invaluable line of communication.

I beg to quote the telegram dispatched yesterday by the Agent-General for New South Wales to the Premier of that colony:

High Commissioner for Canada and AgentsGeneral for the Australasian colonies, except South Australia and Western Australia, had interview with Secretary of State for the Colonies to-day relating to Pacific cable. Mr. Chamberlain agreed to appoint a Commission as requested by colonies. Great Britain, Canada, and Australasian colonies each to nominate two commissioners-that is to say, six in all. Repeat this joint telegram to other Colonial Governments, including New Zealand, and communicate here names of colonies' nominees. Prompt action desirable. Terms of reference will be forwarded to you to-morrow, will include full inquiry into all details."-I am, etc.,

(Sgd.) CHARLES TUPPER.

THE HON. SIR MACKENZIE BOWELL, K.C.M.G., ETC.

DEAR MR. IVES,-I duly received your two cable messages of the 21st instant, as follows:

(I) "Confidential. Urgent. Impress upon Chamberlain undesirable fixing as standard any named vessel. Canada Government willing to agree upon vessels of tonnage, speed and general appointment as Teutonic, but perhaps built on different lines, taking advantage improvement construction if found desirable to insure better service."

(2) "Shall I make specifications, or will Imperial authorities?"

To-day I sent you the following telegram in reply:

Steamship service. See my letter 15th to Premier. Speed not to be less than Teutonic, but all other conditions left to Canadian Government, who are to prepare specifications and invite tenders. Cable me general terms specification for approval Colonial Office before tenders invited. Writing you more fully to-day's mail."

As I promised in my letter to Sir Mackenzie Bowell, I enclose you herewith a specification suggested by the Naval Armaments Company of a vessel which they consider would be the best for the service, and which could be built for £350,000, together with a memorandum showing how this vessel compared with the Teutonic and Parisian.

The dispatch from the Colonial Office to the Governor-General of the 21st instant-which was mailed last Thursday-will have reached you ere this. You will see by it that, while it is impossible for Her Majesty's Government to state, in the absence of tenders, what amount they will give, Mr. Chamberlain had decided to contribute the £75,000 if the tenders should show that that sum is required.

I will also send you to-day a letter from Mr. Thomas Reynolds, who was invited by Mr. Benham to go to Barrow with him for consultation with the Naval Armaments Company upon this subject. Mr. Reynolds was closely associated with the late Mr. Bryce Douglas in the former negotiations, and Mr. Benham has requested him to give me the result of the consultation with Mr. Adamson, the manager of the firm.

I think it desirable to give you, as promptly as possible, all the information I can bearing upon this subject as, if the service is to go into operation on the opening of the St. Lawrence navigation two years hence, no time must be lost in getting in the tenders in response to the invitation of the Canadian Government.

I am confirmed in the opinion that the success of this measure depends upon obtaining the closest co-operation of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Without the responsibility of the management and the results being thrown upon that Company in such a way as to secure the most complete co-operation, notwithstanding the large subsidy proposed, it would, I believe, be very difficult to obtain the necessary capital unless the Government itself became responsible, and I do not see how that could be done safely unless the Canadian Pacific Railway Company was committed in the fullest manner to secure the success of the steamship line.

I hope you will be able to cable me the general terms of the specification as soon as possible in order that Mr. Chamberlain's approval-which is essential-may be obtained without delay, and the tenders invited at an early day.

Be good enough to inform the Premier that before the receipt of his cable of the 18th instant I had informed Mr. Huddart of the determination at which Her Majesty's Government had arrived in this matter. Believe me, yours faithfully,

(Sgd.) CHARLES TUPPER.

THE HON. THE MINISTER OF Trade and Commerce, OTTAWA, CANADA.

SPECIFICATION OF PROPOSED VESSELS.

Four steamers built under Admiralty supervision for use as fast cruisers, the material, workmanship, and finish of cabins and general outfit of these vessels and their machinery to be equal to any first-class Atlantic steamer afloat. The principal dimensions of the vessels: Length, 500 feet; beam, 57 feet; depth moulded, 40 feet; load draft, 27 feet; on which they would carry 5,000 tons dead weight. Engines, twin-screw, triple expansion; diameter of cylinders, 41 inches, 66 inches, 106 inches, by 60 inches stroke. Supplied with steam by ordinary cylindrical boilers capable of developing about 17,000 I.H.P., which would give a 21-knot speed on six hours' trial, or 20 knots across the Atlantic when loaded. Passenger accommodation: 300 first class, 120 second class, 900 steerage.

For your information I give you about the relative sizes, etc. of the Teutonic, the steamers proposed in this letter for the fast Atlantic service to Canada, and the Parisian :

Teutonic: 5655 feet long, by 57 feet 8 inches beam, by 39 feet 2 inches depth moulded; twin screws; diameter of cylinders, 43 inches, 68 inches, 100 inches, by 60 inches stroke. Tonnage: gross, 9,984; net, 4,269.

Proposed steamer for fast Atlantic service: 500 feet long, by 57 feet beam, by 40 feet depth moulded; twin screws; diameter of cylinders, 41 inches, 66 inches, 106 inches, by 60 inches stroke. Tonnage gross, 8,500; net, 4,000.

Parisian: 440-8 feet long, by 46 feet 2 inches

beam, by 25 feet 2 inches depth moulded; single screw; diameter of cylinders, 60 inches, 85 inches, by 60 inches stroke. Tonnage: gross, 5,508; net, 3,265.

Then I came to Canada to arrange the details with Sir Mackenzie Bowell, at that time Prime Minister of the Dominion, and when leader in the House of Commons I submitted a resolution authorising the Government to subscribe £150,000 annually towards a 20-knot service, and to enter into a contract, subject to the approval of Parliament. The resolution was adopted.

Then I awarded a contract to the Allans, of Glasgow, but Lord Aberdeen, the Governor-General, in defiance of constitutional procedure, withheld his assent, despite the fact that Parliament was to meet three weeks later. When Sir Wilfrid Laurier attained power his Government refused to ratify the contract, and made several unsuccessful attempts afterwards to carry out the same policy. In view of the rapid development of Canada in recent years, I am to-day heartily in favour of the establishment of a 22-knot service, which I hope to see shortly accomplished.