PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
TC.O. 885
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
PAPERS.
1. Extract from the Annual Report of the Post and Telegraph Department of Queensland for the year 1891.
"ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS.
"Telegraph Cable to New Caledonia.
237
"Negotiations were entered into between the Hon. Audley Coote, M.L.C., of Tasmania, repre- senting the Société Française des Télégraphes Sous-Marins of Paris, and the Postmaster- General of Queensland on the subject of a submarine cable from Queensland to New Caledonia, a distance of 900 miles, as the first section of the main Pacific cable to connect Queensland with Vancouver, and the following arrangement was arrived at:-
**Subject to guarantee on the one part by the French Government, and by the Australian Governments on the other part, for a period of 30 years, and for an annual sum of 300,000 francs (12,000l.) as subsidy over and above the expenses of working, estimated at 60,000 francs (2,4007.), but the sum to be paid for the said guarantee shall not exceed 300,000 francs (12,000l.), the proceeds of the working above the 60,000 francs (2,400) of expenses above named shall go in reduction of the said 300,000 francs (12,000l.) of annual guarantee, and without reference to one year being taken without another. "The Government of New South Wales to guarantee the sum of 50,000 francs (2,000l.), the Government of Queensland to guarantee 50,000 francs (2,000), being together one-third of the total guarantee, the other two-thirds to be guaranteed by the French Government, and the annual reduction of the guarantee according to the receipts from the working shall be shared at the rate of one-third for the Governments of New South Wales and Queensland and two-thirds for the Government of France. "In consideration of the above guarantee the Government of New South Wales and the Government of Queensland shall have free use of the cable for their own Government messages up to the extent of their guarantee in each year.
"The cable to be kept in good working order, and if it should become silent and remain so for 21 days, then the guarantee shall cease until the cable is in working order again.
The working expenses of the cable shall not exceed in any one year the sum of 2,400%., it being understood that the working expenses shall be a first charge against the receipts from messages going over the cable; all the receipts over and above the working expenses are to go towards the annual reduction of the guarantee of 12,000, to be shared at the rate of one-sixth for the Government of Queensland, one-sixth for the Government of New South Wales, and two-thirds for the Government of France.
"The minimum rate for messages of 10 words and under, including address and signature, shall be 78. from Queensland to New Caledonia, made up as follows:-The cable to receive 68., Queensland 18., and for each additional word 7d., of which the cable shall receive 6. and Queensland 1d.
"A message of 10 words and under from New South Wales shall be 88., divided as above, with la. to New South Wales for a message of 10 words, and 1d. for each additional word.
"The company to reduce the charges directly the business warrants it.
"The above cable to form part of the main Pacific cable connecting Australia with either
Vancouver or San Francisco, or such other part as may be determined.
"As soon as the main Pacific cable is laid, the guarantee above referred to shall be re-arranged, and come into and be a part of any joint purse guarantee given by the other countries or Colonies joining in a guarantee for the main Pacific cable.” "When the Postmaster-General for New South Wales, on behalf of his Government, had agreed to the guarantee of 2,000l. per annum, the necessary agreement was entered into by the Postmaster-General of Queensland. "In a report from the Portmaster to the Honourable the Colonial Treasurer, he suggested that the locality of Burnett Heads affords all the advantages of a sheltered position, a good landing, and established telegraphic communication, and, keeping on the shallow plateau of soundings inside the 100-fathom contour as much as possible, and besides being 55 miles nearer to Noumea than Gladstone, the Queensland end of the cable would lie across Hervey's Bay, in deep water and comparatively even bottom.
"The question of laying the cable to Sandy Cape or Cape Moreton was also considered, but it
was decided that neither of these positions offered such advantages as the Burnett Heads."
2. Agreement printed among the New South Wales Parliamentary Papers, 1892-93. "THIS INDENTURE made and entered into this 22nd day of April 1892, between the Société Française des Télégraphes Sous-Marins, carrying on business at Paris, in France (herein- after designated the said Company) of the one part, and John Kidd, the Postmaster-General of the Colony of New South Wales, as such Postmaster-General, and acting for and on behalf of the Government of New South Wales (herein-after designated the said Postmaster-General), of the other part. Whereas the said Company has lately agreed with the Government of the Colony of Queensland to make, construct, and lay down a submarine cable for the purpose of
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