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Harding (ex-President of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce), in the chair; and ordered to be transmitted by the hon. secretary to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for the Colonies:-

"That in the opinion of this Committee, it is urgently desirable that at the approach- ing Inter-Imperial Conference at Ottawa, Her Majesty's Government, while expressing every readiness to co-operate on behalf of this country in any reasonable project for the development of telegraphic and other communications within the Empire, should intimate to the representatives of the Colonies that the time has come for a reconsideration of the present arrangements for the maritime defence of the empire; and that such reconsideration should be directed towards-

"(1.) An equitable apportionment of the burdens of naval expenditure among all the self-governing countries of the Empire.

"(2.) A corresponding representative participation by all those countries in the control of the Imperial navy.

"Such an intimation on the part of Her Majesty's Government should, in the opinion of this committee, be accompanied by a clear and full statement as to the existing apportionment of the expenses of the navy, together with the expression of the con- viction of the Queen's Ministers that the Colonies, whose loyal readiness to share in national perils has been evinced on many important occasions, will recognise that their duty and their interests alike call for their entrance, at the present stage of their development, into the full responsibilities of membership of the British Empire.

"If this subject cannot, for any reason, be fully discussed at the forthcoming con- ference, this Committee hope that Her Majesty's Government will take steps at Ottawa to secure an adjournment of that assembly until, or the summoning of a new conference at, an early date, when the whole question can be adequately treated."

No. 21.

9459.

THE AGENT-GENERAL FOR NEW SOUTH WALES to COLONIAL

OFFICE.

(Received May 31, 1894.)

Westminster Chambers, 9, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., May 30, 1894.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to inform you that the Honourable Francis Bathurst Suttor, Minister of Public Instruction of New South Wales, has been appointed to represent the Government of that Colony at the forthcoming conference to be held at Ottawa, and that this gentleman left Sydney on the 19th instant by the S.S." Arawa.”

I bave, &c. (Signed)

SAUL SAMUEL.

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further appears that a representation has been made to Her Majesty's Government that obstacles should be removed which at present preclude certain Colonies from concluding preferential trade relations between each other.

Anxious as my Committee always are that all reasonable measures should be taken to facilitate postal or telegraphic communication between the United Kingdom and the Colonies, they would venture to submit to the Marquess of Ripon that some representa- tion should be laid before the Ottawa Conference with regard to the legislative restric- tions which some of the Australasian Colonies have adopted with reference to British marine insurers, and that it should be pointed out to the Conference that, before burdens be laid upon the British tax-payer for the convenience of the Australasian Colonies, some endeavour might be made by these Colonies to ameliorate these restrictions.

Under the provisions of the 31st and 32nd sections of the Victorian Stamp Act of 1892 it appears that underwiters and insurance companies in the United Kingdom are placed in an entirely different position from Australian Companies doing business in Australia, since these sections of the Act appear to apply solely to insurance business connected with policies issued outside Victoria.

This view of my Committee appears to be thoroughly established by an opinion of the Hon. Attorney-General of Victoria, which was obtained by his Excellency the Governor of that Colony, and forwarded to my Committee for their information. I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of this opinion.

The provisions of the sections of the Act referred to prevent a merchant in Victoria from writing to a correspondent in London instructing the latter to declare an interest upon an open policy effected in this country, as the Act specially lays down that any person who "makes a declaration under any open or valued policy issued by any person outside Victoria shall take out a licence the duty upon which is assessed at 500," and it is expressly laid down that in this section a "declaration" included any letter of advice or other document advising any marine insurance or risk.

I am

to add that somewhat similar restrictions on underwriters and insurance companies in the United Kingdom appear to be laid down in New Zealand by the Stamp Acta Amendment Act of the 17th September 1885 for that Colony.

My Committee would venture to suggest that it might be represented to the Ottawa Conference that, before subsidies as proposed are granted by the Imperial Treasury, the Colony of Victoria and others interested which have adopted similar legislation may not unfairly be requested to rescind such legislation.

I am, &c.

Enclosure in No. 22.

(Signed)

H. HOZIER,

Secretary.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O. 885

6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

9496.

No. 22.

LLOYD'S to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received June 1, 1894.)

[Answered by No. 31.]

Lloyd's, E.C., May 30, 1894.

SIR,

I AM directed by the Committee of Lloyd's to beg that you will be so good as to inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies that the attention of my Committee bas been called to the fact that a conference will meet at Ottawa on the 21st June next, when representatives of Canada and Australasian Colonies will be present, and the matter of subsidies to a proposed accelerated mail service between Australia and the United Kingdom by way of Canada will be discussed.

It

appears, as far as my Committee can learn, that the Australasian and Canadian Colonies are urging upon Her Majesty's Government that a substantial subsidy should be granted by the Treasury towards the establishment of such a mail service. Her guaranteeing the interest Majesty's Treasury also appear to have been urged to join

upon the amount estimated as requisite for the construction of a Pacifio cable, and it

Crown Law Office, Melbourne,

March 2, 1894.

QUESTION as to the liability of the agent in Victoria of a merchant in London, who makes a declaration upon an open policy in England, to pay an annual duty under the Stamps Act, 1892.

In compliance with the request of the Committee of Lloyd's, addressed to his Excellency for the opinion of a Law Officer of this Colony in reference to a provision of the Stamps Act, which is cited as the Stamps Act 1892, I have to answer the following question:-Whether the agent in Victoria of a merchant in London, who makes a declaration upon an open policy in England, would be liable to pay an annual duty of

500%. ?

In my opinion the agent in Victoria, who makes a declaration upon an open policy in England, is liable to pay the duty, which shall be assessed at 5001., unless the agent proves to the satisfaction of the Collector of Imposts that the duty payable should be of less amount, pursuant to the provisions of the Stamps Acts, one of which is the Stamps

Act 1892.

The policy embodied in the 31st section of the Act, No. 1,274, cited as the Stamps Act, 1892, is to prevent any systematic evasion of these Stamps Acts, and partly follows the cognate New Zealand Act of 1885. The breach of this section has not yet been the subject of any case in Victoria known to me, but nevertheless, if any system of evasion of the Stamps Acts should be brought to light, I have no doubt its provisions will be C 2