Reports of Committees. xli 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE INDIGENOUS 



FIBROUS PLANTS OF THE COLONY SUITABLE FOR 



PAPER-MAKING. 



Government Offices, Melbourne, 

 17th October, 18G0. 



Sir — I am directed by the Governor to forward to the Royal 

 Society of Victoria the enclosed copy of a despatch which His 

 Excellency has received from the Imperial Government, requesting 

 information with regard to any fibrous plants or grasses that may 

 exist in this colony. — I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient 

 servant, 



0. F. TiMiNS, Private Secretaiy. 



Dr. John Macadam, M.L.A., 

 Secretary Royal Society of Victoria, &c., 



(copy.) 



Downing-street, 3rd August, 1860. 



Sir — The extreme want felt by the manufacturing interest of Great 

 Britain of raw material for the production of textile fabrics, has 

 induced an application to the Committee of the General Association 

 for the Australian Colonies for the purpose of discovering the 

 existence (if any) of some fibrous product in the Australian Continent 

 which might tend to remove the difficulty, and at the same time 

 prove a sufficiently valuable article of commerce to ensure its bemg 

 successfidly and profitably cultivated. 



2. In compliance with the request of a deputation of the Aus- 

 tralian Committee who waited upon the Secretary of State, I have to 

 draw your attention to the great importance of this subject, and to 

 the probability of there being some fibrous grasses of a valuable kind 

 indigenous to the colony under your government, 



3. It would be very desirable that these grasses should be 

 collected (if possible) by the Government Botanists, and sent to 

 England — consigned to the colonial agent — for the purpose of having 

 their value tested in such a manner as may best secure the object in 

 view. 



4. In the event of its being found practicable to comply with this 

 application, Mr. Bazley, M.P., has offered to place the Committee of 

 the Australian Association in communication with several leading 

 manufacturers, who will gratuitously test the value of the several 

 consignments. — I have, «fec,, 



(Signed) G. C. Lewis. 



