ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 27" 



From the Colonial Office to the Treasury — 



Downing Street, December 12th, 1887- 



Sir, — I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to 

 tranmit to you, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the 

 Treasury, a copy of a letter from the Agent-General of Victoria, inquir- 

 ing whether Her Majesty's Government will contribute the sum of 

 £5,000 in the event of the Australian Colonies making a like contribution 

 towards the cost of an Antarctic exploration. Copies of letters on the 

 subject are also enclosed from the Admiralty, the Eoyal Colonial Insti- 

 tute, the Royal Geopraphical Society and the Royal Society, which their 

 Lordship's will observe are all in favour of the co-operation of Her 

 Majesty's Government in this work. 



A reference was also made to the Board of Trade, and it may be seen 

 from the accompanying copy of their reply that in their opinion it does 

 not appear necessary in the interests of trade that Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment should contribute towards the expense. The Board of Trade do 

 not however seem to have regarded the probability of a conpiderable 

 trade in sperm oil and other products of whale fishery arising in the 

 future, or the importance of the expedition for scientific purposes, which 

 it is believed would constitute the principal object of the expedition and 

 the value of which is strongly attested by the Royal Geographical Society 

 and the Royal Society. Sir H. Holland trusts their Lordships will give 

 their favourable consideration to this application on behalf of the 

 Government of Victoria and consent to the contribution of the sum of' 

 £5,000 towards the scientific objects of the expedition. It woiild seem 

 undesirable for Her Majesty's Government to take any direct share in. 

 the equipment or management of the expedition. 



I am &c, 



JOHN BRAMSTON. 

 The Secretary to the Treasurer. 



The Treasury to the Colonial Office — 



Treasury Chambers, January 3rd, 1888. 

 The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury request you to 

 inform Secretary Sir Henry Holland that they have had before them Mr. 

 Bramston's letter of the 12th ultimo, submitting for their favourable 

 consideration an inquiry made by the Agent-General for Victoria* 

 whether Her Majesty's Government would contribute £5,000 towards the 

 cost of an expedition to explore the Antarctic regions, if such an ex- 

 pedition were undertaken by the Australian Colonies. The objects of 

 this expedition would be (1) the promotion of trade, and (2) scientific 

 inquiry. But the department best able to judge of the first does not 

 think the interests involved sufficient to justify the proposed imperial 

 contribution ; and the general result of the communications regarding 

 the second object, received from scientific bodies, is to show that an 



