21.2
It But some really effective effort should be made at once to get the best terms. seems to me that the only way to do this is for the Home Government to send some one out to Honolulu to treat with the authorities there, and ascertain what can be done. I have no doubt the Hawaiians would much prefer the cable did not go direct from Vancouver to Fanning Jeland, and in order to obtain telegraph connexion with the Continent would be willing to make very considerable concessions. I am quite satisfied better terms can be made with them now than after the 1st November, when offers to build the cable will be received. If they cannot be approached until after that date, they will naturally suspect that we have found the Vancouver-Fanning section practically out of the question, and we are, after all, compelled to land on one of their islands.
Whoever may be sent from England should leave without any delay, so as to sail from Vancouver by the steamer which leaves that port on the 16th September. The Ottawa on the 9th September last train by which he could catch that steamer will (possibly the 8th), and the number of days to reach Ottawa from London can easily be ascertained. By going out to Honolulu then, he would have about a week there, and could return to Ottawa before the end of October, vid Vancouver. Or, if more than a week was required, he could return via San Francisco, and arrive in November. I cannot but think that it is of the utmost importance to send out some proper person specially, and at once. I doubt if anything can be done without which will properly meet the
case.
Yours faithfully,
SANDFORD Fleming.
9
Mr. Sandford Fleming, or some other agent, will, it is understood, proceed at once to Honolulu as delegate from the Canadian Government to negotiate arrangements with the Hawaiian Government in connexion with the general scheme. The agent selected will be furnished by the Governor-General of Canada with a letter of introduction to you. The nature of the contemplated arrangements is indicated in the memorandum enclosed in the Colonial Office letter.
Various papers relating to the discussions respecting the projected cable are sent for your information.
I am to instruct you to endeavour to obtain from the Hawaiian Government the right for Her Majesty's Government to occupy, by their nominees, some island in the Hawaiian Group for the purposes of a cable station. You should give an explicit assurance that Hawaiian sovereignty over the Island will be respected. This condition being satisfied, you should require that the right to occupy should be exclusive, that the occupation should be in perpetuity, or, if this should be unattainable, for as long a period as possible; or, if it should be preferred, for such a period only as the island may be required for cable purposes.
It would be indispensable that the island and cable should be exempt from municipal taxation. As regards the action of the agent of the Canadian Govern- ment, your attitude, as Her Majesty's representative, should be that you are instructed that Her Majesty's Government take a warm interest in the success of the enterprise and in a favourable issue of the negotiations with the Hawaiian Government.
You should, as far as you properly can without compromising Her Majesty's Govern- ment, assist Mr. Sandford Fleming, or other agent of the Canadian Government in arranging the terms on which the cable should be extended from the selected island to Honolulu.
You should not broach the subject of the conditional lease of an island before the arrival of the agent of the Canadian Government.
ADVERTISEMENT issued by CANADIAN GOVERNMENT for the Contract. (See p. 275 of [C. 7553] Aug. 1893.)
LETTER from Mr. SANDFORD FLEMING to the MINISTER OF TRAde and Commerce, Ottawa,
July 20, 1894.
(See p. 278 of [C. 7553].)
15308.
No. 7.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received August 30, 1894.)
[Answered by No. 8.]
Foreign Office, August 29, 1894. SIB,
WITH reference to your letter of the 27th instant, in regard to the proposed Pacific Cable, I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Ripon, the accompanying copy of an instruction upon the subject which, with his Lordship's concurrence, it is proposed to forward to Her Majesty's Consul at Honolulu.
I am, &c.
15308.
No. 8.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PELLC.O. 885
لساسانيا
SIR,
COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
[See No. 18.]
Downing Street, August 30, 1894. I AM directed by the Marquess of Ripon to request that you will inform the Earl of Kimberley that he concurs in the terms of the Despatch proposed to be addressed to Her Majesty's Consul at Honolulu, in connexion with the proposed Pacific Cable, a draft of which accompanied your letter of the 29th instant.*
I have, &c.
JOHN BRAMSTON.
14378.
No. 9.
COLONIAL OFFICE to ADMIRALTY.
H. PERCY ANDERSON.
(Draft.-Consul Hawes, No.
•
Enclosure in No. 7.
Political.)
SIB,
1894.
Foreign Office, August I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a letter from the Colonial Office, respecting the proposed Pacific Cable.
You will see that at the Ottawa Conference the Canadian Government was requested to take steps to ascertain the cost of the proposed cable and generally to prepare the way for the undertaking in accordance with the views expressed in the Couference.
• No. 8.
Downing Street, August 31, 1894. SIR,
pointed out WITH reference to your letter of the 19th ultimo,† in which it was that French Frigate Shoal and Laysan Island might be more suitable places than Neckar Island for the landing of a Pacific Cable in the Sandwich group, I am directed by the Marquess of Ripon to transmit to you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a copy of a letter, which has been received from the Foreign Office respecting these two islands.
I am, &c.
JOHN BRAMSTON.
‡ No. G.
• No. 7.
† No. 149 in Australian No. 159.
0 83769.
B
6
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
10
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