208 TIMEHRI. 
for the delay, for during the nine months the rivers had 
been extraordinarily low through the drought; he did 
not think Mr. Seon was to blame. , 
In the absence of the Hon. Mr. Davis, Mr. Jacob Conrad 
moved the motion that new samples of timber without 
sap-wood, be sent for trial to the Imperial Institute. They 
knew, he said, that it took some trouble and expense to 
open up new produéts, and if they wished to advertise 
their timbers they must incur this trouble and expense. 
Unless they made known what could be done in the 
colony, they could hardly expeét to get outside capital. 
Mr. James Gillespie seconded. | 
The Hon. Mr, Boyle was in favour of another trial, but 
a thorough examination should first be made of what 
they were about to send. When Mr. Seon brought down 
his samples they would be better able to judge, he would 
therefore propose as an amendment that these samples 
be examined, and if found good, be sent on to the Im- 
perial Institute, In the meantime, a reply to the Govern- 
ment communication might be forwarded, stating that 
they would not ask that the remaining samples be tested, 
as they proposed to send others shortly. 
Mr. Conrad said that Mr. Willlam Cunningham would 
be willing to examine the timbers before shipment. 
Mr. F. A. Conyers said that the timbers could not be 
properly tested in the colony. He remembered the 
Direétors of the Caledonian Railway in 1885 asking 
about mora sleepers, but the price was so enormously 
beyond those of pine that they could not afford them, 
Timbers had been sent from bere to many exhibitions. 
but with no benefit. | 
The Hon. Mr. Boyle said that his proposition was that 
