Whereas at a Conference held at Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria on the fourth day of March one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven and following days of Delegates from the Governments of all the Australian Colonies (excepting Western Australia) on the subject of Ocean Postal Communication at which Conference such Delegates that is to say—for the Colony of Victoria the Honourable James McCulloch and the Honourable George R. Verdon for the Colony of New South Wales the Honourable Henry Parkes and the Honourable Joseph Docker for the Colony of New Zealand the Honourable John Hall and Crosbie Ward Esquire for the Colony of South Australia the Honourable James P. Boucaut and the Honourable Walter Duffield for the Colony of Queensland the Honourable Arthur Macalister and the Honourable Saint George R. Gore for the Colony of Tasmania the Honourable Thomas Daniel Chapman undertook that their Governments would be bound by such Resolutions of the Conference as they themselves might individually assent to—it was unanimously resolved “That in order to establish a postal system affording regular fortnightly communication by three lines via Brisbane and Torres Straits to Singapore via Melbourne and South Australia to Suez and via New Zealand to Panama with the necessary Branch Services the six Colonies represented at the Conference should contribute a moiety not exceeding Two Hundred Thousand Pounds of the total cost in the following proportions namely Victoria one-fourth New South Wales one-fourth New Zealand one-fourth Queensland one-seventh South Australia one-twelfth and Tasmania one-fiftieth” And it was resolved that the list of Branch Mail Services required to connect the whole of the Australian Colonies with the three lines of postal communication between Great Britain and Australasia via Suez and King George’s Sound via Suez and Singapore and via Panama and New Zealand should be as follows First—For the service via King George’s Sound On the arrival of the Suez steamer at Melbourne one branch steamer to leave for Launceston and another for New Zealand On the arrival of the same Suez steamer at Sydney a branch steamer to leave for Brisbane Return branch steamers to leave Brisbane New Zealand and Launceston in time to reach Sydney and Melbourne respectively before the departure of the steamer for Suez The Adelaide mails by this line will be delivered by the Suez steamer at Kangaroo Island and conveyed to and from that island by a branch service Second—For the service via Singapore On the arrival of the Singapore steamer at Sydney one branch steamer to leave that port for a port in New Zealand and another for Melbourne On the arrival of the latter vessel at Melbourne either the same or another vessel to proceed to Adelaide and a branch steamer also to proceed to Launceston Branch steamers to return to Melbourne and Sydney respectively in time to catch a return mail to Singapore Third—For the service via Panama On the arrival of the Panama steamer at Wellington a branch steamer to leave for Melbourne On the arrival there either the same or another vessel to proceed to Adelaide and another branch steamer to proceed to Launceston On arrival of the Panama steamer at Sydney a branch steamer to proceed to Brisbane The branch steamers to return to Sydney and Wellington respectively in time for a return mail to Panama All the branch services to be performed at a speed of not less than nine and a half knots per hour The several branch steamers to take their departure on the outward journey within six hours of the arrival of the Trunk Line steamer and if necessary to await her arrival for a period not exceeding three days beyond her due date And whereas a Memorial to Her Majesty the Queen setting forth the advantages of the proposed scheme of postal communication and praying that Her Majesty may be advised to take such steps as may be expedient by terminating or re-adjusting present contracts or calling for fresh tenders for the performance of the main Services to establish the proposed United Australasian Postal system without drawing upon the resources of the Colonies beyond the sum which they undertake to pay was duly signed by all the said delegates and has been forwarded for presentation to Her Majesty And whereas it was agreed at the said Conference that in accordance with the suggestion emanating from the Imperial Government the Colonies in combination should undertake to call for tenders and enter into the contracts necessary for connecting the Australian Colonies with the lines of postal communication maintained by the Imperial Government And that with a view to the adoption of the measures requisite for this purpose and also for carrying out in other respects the resolutions of the Conference it was deemed expedient that a Federal Council comprising representatives from all the Australian Colonies should be established