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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

POSTAL

COMMUNICATION

46

should not have much difficulty in inducing our Legislature to agree to it. Our experience has been that a reduction of the postage means an increase of revenue, and I do not think the loss will be anything material, and I am convinced within a short time we should recover so that the cost would be paid by the penny.

Sir George Turner.] But if you reduced your postage from 24d. to 1d. do you believe that the communication with England would double immediately? Sir Gordon Sprigg.] It would double very shortly. It is astonishing the extent to which our letters increased when we reduced the postage to ld.

Sir George Turner.] That was internal ?

Sir Gordon Sprigg.] In the Colony,

Sir George Turner.] That is very different to the external communications. Mr. Reid.] Amongst the Dutch population ?

Sir Gordon Sprigg.] Not principally among the Dutch; the native popula- tion. Our natives write very extensively. No, there would be a very great increase in the communications with England; I am convinced of that. correspondence would largely increase.

The

Mr. Reid.] What it would be nobody could predict, but there would be a great increase.

Mr. Harry Escombe.] I share Sir Gordon Sprigg's view, sir, as regards the ocean postage; I believe that the tie between the Colony and England is

than any stronger

other.

Sir Gordon Sprigg.] That is one of the means of strengthening the bond of Empire.

The Secretary of State.] Of course, that is the point of view from which we look at it. gather that as far as the Australian Colonies are concerned, they certainly are not prepared at the present time.

Sir John Forrest.] It is only a matter of money.

Mr. Reid.] We are all in favour of the project, which might be realised some day soon,

but there are financial difficulties in Australia which make it a very serious question at present.

Sir Hugh Muir Nelson.] The internal communication is very expensive. It really costs us less to send a letter from Brisbane to London than from Bris- bane inland.

Mr. Reid.] We wish to meet the general feeling wherever we can, but there is a difficulty in the matter. Mr. Henniker Heaton has done his best; we are all in favour of his project; we look upon it as a grand project; but the post offices all tell us it is too serious financially.

Mr. Kingston.] I might say that we are not satisfied that 23d. is too much to charge for the services rendered; and assuming that the reduction would, as I believe it would, lead to a diminution of our postal revenue, it would have to be met somewhere, and I am inclined to think that at present it falls upon shoulders which are very fairly able to bear it.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier.] Well, I think that this subject may be dismissed then. Before we adjourn, I think we should arrange when we shall meet again.

I

Mr. Reid.] Mr. Chamberlain, it seems that we have all got engagements;

there would be no difficulty in adjourning just now?

Buppose

The Secretary of State.] No.

Mr. Reid.] Of course I feel-we all must feel that this is the main business after the events which have transpired; this is the main business of our coming to England, so that as long as you can spare the time we place our time very much at your disposal.

Adjourned till Thursday next, July 1st, at Eleven o'clock.

47

THIRD DAY.

Thursday, 1st July 1897.

PRESENT:

The Right Honourable JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P., in the Chair.

The Right Honourable The EARL OF SELBORNE, Parliamentary Under

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

MR. EDWARD WINGFIELD, C.B., Permanent Under Secretary of State

for the Colonies.

SIR JOHN BRAMSTON, K.C.M.G., C.B., First Assistant Under Secretary

of State for the Colonies.

PREMIERS:

The Right Honourable SIR WILFRID LAURIER, G.C.M.G., Q.C., Canada. The Right Honourable G. II. REID, New South Wales.

The Right Honourable SIR GEORGE Turner, K.C.M.G., Victoria. The Right Honourable RICHARD JOHN SEDDON, New Zealand.

The Right Honourable SIR HUGH MUIR NELSON, K.C.M.G., Queensland. The Right Honourable SIR GORDON SPRIGG, K.C.M.G., Cape. The Right Honourable C. C. KINGSTON, Q.C., South Australia.

The Right Honourable SIR WILLIAM V. WHITEWAY, K.C.M.G., New-

foundland.

The Right Honourable SIR E. N. C. BRADDON, K.C.M.G., Tasmania. The Right Honourable SIR JOHN FORREST, K.C.M.G., F.R.G.S., Western

Australia.

The Right Honourable HARRY ESCOMBE, Q.C., Natal.

MR. JOHN ANDERSON (Secretary).

Private Secretaries to MR. CHAMBERLAIN :

Mr. H. F. WILSON, LORD AMPTHILL, The Honourable T. H.

COCHRANE, M.P., and MR. H. J. READ.

CAPTAIN L. A. BEAUMONT, R.N., Director of Naval Intelligence. CAPTAIN M. NATHAN, R.E., Secretary Colonial Defence Committee.

TRADE WITH Japan.

The Secretary of State.] Sir Wilfrid Laurier is not here, but there is an important point we may take before he comes, perhaps two points, in fact; they are questions of treaties. As the Premiers are aware, a treaty has been made with Japan, to which Queensland and one other Colony has acceded; it is in a new form; it gives to you all the advantages of the treaty, and it enables you to make your special regulations with regard to labour and immigration and leaves both countries free on that, and also permits any Colony desiring it to denounce the treaty or come out from the treaty by

F 4

TREATY WITH

JAPAN