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required for the passage by Torres Straits than is required for the passage by Cape Leuwin, the contract will probably be within the means of a Colonial Company. The proportion of subsidy payable by the Mother Country, and by each Colony respectively, would probably be arranged on the plan hitherto followed in the Contract with the Peninsular and Oriental Company.
5. I have addressed a letter of similar purport and of even date herewith to the Governor of New South Wales; - that Colony, New Zealand, and Queensland being the three British Colonies specially interested in the route.
6. It will, I think, be desirable that the Governor of New Caledonia should be invited to co-operate. The French Colony of Reunion, or Bourbon contributed to the cost of Postal communication between Mauritius and Aden.
7. It will also be well that a communication should be addressed to the Governor of the Dutch settlement in the Indian Archipelago. I am informed that there is already periodical steam communication between Singapore, Batavia and Copang in the island of Timor. Consequently, it may possibly prove feasible to share a moiety of the expense of the proposed route, by transferring the
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His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand
&c. &c. &c.
the mails and passengers from the Australian to the Dutch Steamers at Copang.
8. I trust that I shall receive an early reply, stating fully the views of the Government of New Zealand on all the parts of this important scheme.
I have &c. Signed / G.F. Bowen
No. 29
GFB.
Government House,
25th July, 1860.
Sir,
As I perceive by the Newspapers that Major General Pratt has proceeded to New Zealand, and will not, therefore, receive for some time the official letter which I addressed to him on the 16th Inst., I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a copy of that communication.
2. On behalf of the Government of Queensland, I solicit your attention, in particular, to the 7th and 8th paragraphs, and beg that you will have the goodness to send to Brisbane, by the first Steamer, and on the conditions therein state, a non-commissioned officer, capable of acting as musketry instructor to the Queensland Volunteers.
3. I take this oppportunity of
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The Officer
Commanding H.M. Troops at Sydney New South Wales.
of enquiring if there are any small field-pieces the property of the Queen, in store at Sydney; and if so, of requesting that you will send three or four to Brisbane, for the service of this Colony. At present, we have not the means of even firing a salute on Her Majesty's birth-day. Cannon of a calibre not exceeding three pounds will suffice for the present.
I have &c.
Signed / G.F. Bowen.
No. 30
G.F.B.
&c. &c. &c.
H.M.S. "Herald"
Governament House,
25th July, 1860.
Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 18th inst. I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Smith R.N. has reported himself to me at Brisbane; and that he will, in the first instance be employed, with the means of transport &c. pointed out by you, in the examination of the estuary of the river Burdekin.
I have &c.
Signed / G.F. Bowen.
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No. 31
&c. &c. &c.
Comm.dr H.M. Troops
at Sydney
Government House,
14th August, 1860
Sir,
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th inst., and to thank you for the promptitude with which Color Sergeant-Green has been despatched to Brisbane. He is already at work in organizing our Rifle Volunteers.
While the Sergeant continues so employed, he will receive from the Government of this Colony three pounds (£3) per week, in addition to his Imperial pay, and in lieu of all allowances and rations for himself, and his family. He is also provided with comfortable quarters in the barracks. He state that he is thoroughly satisfied.
I beg to repeat the enquiry made in my letter of the 25th ultimo, viz., whether there be in store at Sydney any small field pieces, the property of the Crown, and, if so, to request that you will obtain the necussary authority for sending three or four (or even two) of them to Brisbane, for the service of this Colony. At present, we have no means of evern firing a salute on the Queen's birth-day. When Her Majesty separated Queensland from New South Wales, it was, beyond doubt, intended that the new Colony should enjoy its fair share of the protection afforded by Her Majesty's Troops and Ordnance.
I have &c. / Sigd / G.F. Bowen.
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No 32.
GFB
Government House,
21st August, 1860.
Sir,
I have the honor to state that a Despatch from the Duke of Newcastle to Governor General Sir William Denison (No.11 of 21 January 1860) conveying a recommendation, founded, as it would appear, on a suggestion from Your Excellency, that the river variously known as the Cooper, the Victoria, the Strzelecki, and the Barcoo, should henceforward retain the latter designation only, - has been transmitted to Queensland, as part of the stream in question now lying within the Colony of New South Wales.
2. The Government of this Colony entirely agrees with the Duke of Newcastle's recommendation; and I have already informed his Grace that directions have been given that as much of the river referred to as is comprised in the Territory of Queensland, shall be designated the Barcoo. Your Excellency will doubtless take similar steps respecting that portion of the stream which is comprised withing the Territory of South Australia.
2. I further stated to the Duke of Newcastle that, in my opinion, two distinct principles should be adopted as general rules, in settling the local nomenclature
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His Excellency Sir R. G. Macdonell, C.B.
&c. &c. &c.
nomenclature of Australia. So far as regards the Great features of nature, such as rivers and mountains, I think that the native names, if tolerably distinct and euphonious, should invariably be retained. But with regard to the towns founded by the European settlers, and the new territorial divisions of counties, electoral districts, and the like, - I hold it to be advisable that they should usually be named after the leading Statesmen of the day, after other Englishmen eminent in politics, science or literature in the Mother - Country, or after the Governors and other conspicuous public men in the respective Colonies.
I have &c.
Signed / G. F. Bowen.
No. 33
Government House,
28th August, 1860
Sir,
I have the nonor to acknowledge the receipt with its enclosures, of Your Excellency's letter of the 17th inst. which did not reach me until the 20th inst. I laid it on the following morning before my Executive Council.
2. The Government of Queensland entirely concur with Your Excellency's views respecting the importance of lighting the Torres Straits route; and
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and will give it's immediate and favourable consideration to any well advised project for distributing between the mother country and the several Colonies of the Australian Group the cost of erection and maintenance of the Light houses required.
3. The value of Captain Denham's recent explorations and surveys is highly appreciated in this Colony. When they first became known, so far back as early in June last, both Houses of the Queensland Parliament unanimously passed resolutions, conveying their thanks to that officer for the eminent services which he had thereby rendered to the world at large, and especially to Australia.
4. The facts enumerated in Your Excellency's letter supply additional arguments in favour of the immediate establishment of steam communication, through Torres Straits, as recommended in the letter which I addressed to you on the 24th ult., conveying the view entertained on that subject by the Government and Legislature of Queensland.
5. I trust that I shall shortly receive a reply assuring me of the desire of New South Wales to co-operate with this Colony in a project of this nature. Not to repeat an enumeration of the manifold advantages of the proposed route I will only mention that there is now in China a combined force of at least fifty thousand French
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His Excellency
Governor General
Sir W. T. Denison. K.C.B.
&c. &c. &c.
French and English soldiers and sailors; and that a line of steamers from Sydney to Singapore (calling in Moreton Bay on every voyage) would afford vast facilities for a most lucrative trade in cattle, sheep and other supplies from Australia.
I have&c.
Signed / G.F. Bowen
No. 34
Government House,
1st September, 1860
Sir,
It is with sincere reluctance that I accept the resignation of your Office of President of the Legislative Council of Queensland, as tendered to me in your letter of the 25th ult. But the period has now nearly expired, during which at my earnest request from a noble sense of public duty, and from a desire to render useful services to Your Sovereign in this new colony, you undertook the important and delicate duties of the distinguished post, which you now vacate.
While I feel that I cannt expect you to neglect any longer the many public and private affairs which claim your attention elsewhere, I am glad to add my testimony to the sentiment prevailingt both among your colleagues in the Legislature, and
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and the public of Queensland generally, viz. that the purposes for which I pressed on you the temporary acceptance of the Presidency, have already been to a great extent realized. I only repeat what I believe to be universally and gratefully acknowledged here, when I say that the successful inauguration of the Legislative Council is due in no slight degree, to the sagacity, moderation, and lengthened official and Parliamentary experience of its first President.
I rejoice to know that though your other avocations and duties render impossible, in your case, the constant attendance required from the President, your name will still reamin on the role of the Legislative Council, and that, whether in Queensland, at Sydney, or in England you will zealously and ably cooperate in all that is calculated to advance the welfare of this Colony.
I have not failed to bring under the cognizance of Her Majesty's advisers at home the patriotic and disinterested manner in which you undertook at my invitation, the labour and responsibility of a high office the duties of which could have been performed by no other individual with less private benefit, or with more public advantage. I hope and believe that the Queen will be advised to
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The Honorable
Sir Charles Nicholson Bt.
&c. &c. &c.
to confer on you a further mark of Her Majesty's Gracious appreciation of your character and conduct - I know that such an honor has been neither solicited nor expected by you; - but it would be a graceful compliment to the body over whose deliberations you have presided; and well earned by their loyalty and patriotism.
I should not do justice to my own feelings were I not to conclude with an expression of the personal respect and warm regard with which I shall ever remain
Sir
Your most faithful Servant
Signed / G. F. Bowen
No. 35
Government House,
10th September 1860.
Sir,
I have received your letter of the 30th ult. in which you state, that having been appointed President of the Legislative Council the duties of which office are, perhaps, under Responsible Government, incompatible with the retention of a voice in the Executive of the Country, you beg to place in my hands the resignation of your seat on the Executive Council
It