§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a contract was entered into last year, and now completed, between a French cable construction company and the Governments of New South Wales and Queensland for the construction of the first section, from Queensland to New Caledonia, of a proposed Pacific cable to America; whether he is aware that the French Government contributed two-thirds of the subsidy (the remaining one- 1368 third having been contributed by the British Colonies aforesaid) on the binding condition that the cable material should be constructed in France, that only French officers and men should be employed to undertake the management and working of the cable during a period of 30 years; whether any remonstrance on the subject has been made to the Governments of New South Wales and Queensland by the Secretary of State for the Colonies; arid whether he has any objection to state the nature of the reply from the Prime Minister of Queensland to Lord Ripon's communication?
§ MR. S. BUXTONThe answer to the first three questions is in the affirmative. With regard to the last question, a reply has been received from the Prime Minister of Queensland, in which he points out that the cable in question will enable the authorities to prevent much more easily the escape of French criminals from New Caledonia, this being, as the House is aware, a matter in which the Australian Colonies are greatly interested.