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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

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allied cable companies, and remove all friction which has arisen between the partners in the Pacific cable; that it would lower the charges to a minimum on over-sea messages passing between New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa, the West Indies, Newfoundland, Canada and the Mother country; that it would provide a double means of communication at low uniform rates between the Mother country or any one British State, and all self-governing British States; that it would constitute the most effective means by which the several Governmental units of the Empire may hold communion with each other whenever they desire; and that while it would be of the highest importance to the commercial and social interests of the British people around the world, it would by the subtle force of electricity at ouce promote the 'consolidation of the Empire and prove an indispensable factor in Imperial unity; that this League views with satisfaction the steps towards this end being taken by the Board of Trade of the City of Ottawa, and the British Empire League in Canada, and assures those bodies of this League's hearty co-operation and its doing whatever may be possible to further the movement in Australia."

"New Zealand is in full sympathy with the movement and there is abundant evidence of the hearty reception given to the proposal. It will suffice to state that the circular letter issued by the Ottawa Board of Trade with the several explanatory appendices have been reprinted in full and presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency the Governor-General.”

The most satisfactory, sympathetic, and encouraging communications have been received from Chambers of Commerce and Manufactures in the United Kingdom. Special mention may be made of responses from Liver- pool, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall and district, Bradford, Heek- mondwicke, Leeds, Bury, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Cleckheaton, Batley, the South of Scotland, Galashiels, Kirkcaldy, East London, Belfast, and Birmingham.

That every centre of trade of the United Kingdom should warmly support the movement to complete a close electric union between the British people throughout the world is not surprising when we bear in mind that they were so well represented at the Montreal Congress of 1903, and that such Congress passed with absolute unanimity the most comprehensive resolution on the subject yet placed on record.

It is scarcely necessary to state that there is no difference of opinion in Canada. The centres of trade and Chambers of Commerce throughout the Dominion have practically declared themselves in favour of the project set forth in the circular letter of the Ottawa Board of Trade of April 20th last.

A copy of the circular letter is appended; nearly a thousand copies were issued. The responses from every quarter of the globe are singularly favourable to the movement; not a single adverse reply has been received; no argument has been advanced against the public policy of completing without loss of time "The Empire Cables."

The President and Council having endeavoured faithfully to carry out the instructions of the Board, have much pleasure in placing the result of their efforts in the matter before the general meeting.

Signed on behalf of the Council of the Board,

DEAR EARL GREY,

JOHN R. REID, President.

CECIL BETHUNE, Secretary.

Enclosure 2 in No. 2.

Winterholme, Ottawa, January 28, 1905. THE Ottawa Board of Trade is sending you a communication on the cables of the Empire, not only for your own information, but also in the hope that you will be good enough to cause it to be transmitted to London for the information of the Home Government and Parliament.

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I trust that I am not taking too great a liberty in adding a few explanations in this informal manner. The extremely kind sympathy that you have already evinced in connection with my poor efforts to serve the public and advance the common interests of the Empire, encourages me to think that you will forgive me.

The subject dealt with by the Ottawa Board of Trade is an outcome of the Colonial Conference of 1887 and 1894; possibly in its latest development it may have no small influence on future Conferences, and specially on the Cable Conference to be held in May next. It must at least be recognised to have a direct bearing on the building up of the 20th Century Empire.

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Admitting the work of Imperial consolidation to be a many-sided problem, obviously the proposal to construct the electric nervous system of the Imperial organism is on the practical side. I have long regarded it as ideal work, which might worthily be pursued by those who, like myself, have devoted their lives to practical purposes. I submitted my views at both Colonial Conferences, and more recently when they were more matured. embodied them in a letter to Mr. Chamberlain, made public in 1898 (repro- duced in Johnson's "Annals and Aims of the Pacific Cable," page 468). Since 1898, the task has been to educate the public, and this public duty has been steadily followed in the face of much apparent indifference, and in some quarters much genuine hostility. At length, as the Ottawa Board of Trade points out, the work of education has borne fruit. Business men widely separated geographically around the British world have with striking unanimity spoken out, and no more favourable testimony could be desired. The time has now come, it is believed, when is possible for the movement

to advance in an accelerated ratio. Holding this view, the Ottawa Board of Trade, supported generally by all similar associations, now appeals to Govern- ments and Parliaments. The monthly mail leaving to-day for Australia and New Zealand bears such appeals. The Canadian Government is being communicated with, and it is confidently hoped that the Home Government will be informed. There remains South Africa, but as yet we are at a loss to know how to proceed most effectively in that quarter? It is of high importance to gain the sympathetic support and co-operation of South Africa, and care must be taken to go the right way about it.

But I must not unduly lengthen these explanations. I have said enough to indicate that we are much in earnest in the practical sphere of constructive Imperialism. The evidence is indisputable that, on the one hand, there is peril to the Empire to leave matters as they are, and allow them to drift: on the other hand, that the free development of the great union of British state would be immensely promoted by establishing the circle of globe-girdling cables under State control.

Again asking you to kindly pardon the great liberty I am now taking,

SANDFORD FLEMING.

24250.

No. 3.

Believe me, &c.,

"The Times," Friday, June 9, 1905.

DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER ON IMPERIAL CABLES AND RATES. Yesterday the Chancellor of the Exchequer received at the Treasury a deputation on the subject of the further reduction in the cable rates to India, China, and West Africa. Sir Edward Sassoon, M.P., as Chairman of the Telegraphs Committee of the House of Commons, headed the deputation, which included Sir Alfred Jones, Mr. Horace Walker, Mr. Charles McArthur, M.P., Mr. W. F. Lawrence, M.P., and Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P. (representing the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce), Mr. Wolff, M.P. (Belfast Chamber of Commerce), Mr. D. J. Shackleton, M.P. (Blackburn Chamber of Commerce), Sir John Leng, M.P. (Dundee Chamber of Commerce), Sir Joseph Lawrence, M.P. (Newport Chamber of Commerce), Mr. Alex. Cross, M.P. (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce), Mr. J. Laughland (London Chamber of Commerce),

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