The Evening Star. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1870. THE NEW MAIL SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 276, 28 November 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1870. THE NEW MAIL SERVICE.

We have no doubt it will afford a very general satisfaction to learn that a new postal contract has been made for the more satisfactory conveyance of the mails from New Zealand via San Francisco to Europe. Alengthened outline of the terms of the contract is published in the morning papers,, from which it will be seen that the new arrangement is one eminently calculated to promote the interests ot every portion of New Zealand, one of the alternate forms of the contract the important point is secured of having the terminus of the trunk line in New Zealand, in accordance the resolutions of the General Assembly. It will be observed that there are four forms, under one of which the .contract may be worked out Line No. 1 is only initiatory and temporary, andj. is to afford time for the Government tn treat with the Australian colonies, and for the Assembly to elect which shall be the permanent terms of the contract. Under either of the four forms of contract the time is tobe twentyfour days for the run between fan Francisco and Auckland, and one hundred hours between Auckland and Port Chalmers. These are the main features of the postal contract under which the first boat will leave San Francisco in February, under the flag of the " United States, New Zealand and Australian Line" of steam packets. The following are the four alternative forms of the' contract:—

Line No. I : A steamer to leave San Francisco once in every calendar month, commencing on the 16th February next, and to proceed to Port Chalmers, calling at Auckland, Wellington, ,and Lyttelton ; and to return, from Port Chalmers to San Francisco once- in every calendar moth, calling at Lyttelton, Wellington, and Auckland. Between San Francisco and Auckland, two ports may be visited; those ports to be selected by Mr. Neileon, but to be within the Hawaiian, Society, Navigator, or Fijian groups. The ports so selected are to be visited, for coaling purposes only ; and there is an express prohibition against any connection being effected between eiiher of the coaling ports and-,any port in New Caledonia or in Australia. For this line the payment is to be forty thousand pounds for twelve complete services ; and any subsidies received from Australia or New Caledonia are to be equally divided between the New Zeviand Government and the contractor.

Within six months of the date of the arrival at Wellington of the first contract vessel, the Postmaster-General may give to the contractors notice that he adopts as the alternative of the initiatory line (No. 1), the line described in the contract as—

Line No. 2.—This line is for a service precisely as described under the heading " Line No. 1 ;" but thirteen complete services are to be performed within the year, instead of twelve, and the contractors are to establish a branch steamer between Auckland and Sydney, and any other branches they please from New Zealand ports ; but they are not to be at liberty to run any branch steamers except from New Zealand ports. For line No. 2, the payment is to he sixty thousand pounds for thirteen complete services, including the branch line; and all subsidies received, whether from the Australian colonies or from New Caledonia, are to belong wholly to the New Zealand Government.

If, within six months of the arrival of the first contract boat at Wellington, the Post-master-General does not give notice to adopt Line No. 2, the contractors may elect to carry out Line No. 3 or Line No. 4.

Line No. 3 is similar "to Line No. 1, only that the contractors are to receive the subsidies from the other colonies, less ten per cent, to the New Zealand Government. They are to be at liberty to establish branches to the Australian colony, or to New Caledonia, from New Zealand ; but they are not to run any branch boats except from New Zealand ports. The payment for Line No. 3 is to be forty thousand pounds ; the contractors receiving all subsidies paid by other colonies, and retaining the amount less ten per cent., which they are to pay to the New Zealand Government.

Line No. 4—ls tne same as the others, in regard to the main boats running to Auckland, Wellington, Lytteiton, and Port Chalmers ; but the contractors are to be at liberty to run branches from the Fiji Islands to Australia, and to make such arrangements as they please respecting subsidies from colonies other than New Zealand. The payment for this line to be thirty thousand pounds per annum.