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Office point out in their letter of the 2th instant, that the Service Regulation referred to in Mr Shaw Lefevre's letter of the 15th ultimo has reference to Cables which are laid between the Territories of two contracting States and, do not mention the case of a Cable laid between the Territory of a Contracting state and that of a non-contracting State but the Service Regulation in question does not interfere with the liberty of any State to lay down such conditions as may appear to it to be reasonable; and I am of opinion that the condition to which I have referred is a reasonable one and ought to be imposed.
In every case I think it can be a matter of small hardship to the Company to submit to this condition seeing that they themselves say in their letter of the 27th ultimo they already adopt the rules of the Telegraph Convention, throughout their system. Cables which have been laid in the past of course the condition cannot now be imposed, but for the future every Company should in my opinion be treated alike and be required to submit to the condition.
The Great Northern Company adhere to the Convention & I am not aware that they claim to exclude any of their lines from the effect of the adhesion.
I have, &c.,
P Henry Maynard.