ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW POSTAL SERVICE.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 743, 29 November 1870, Page 2

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW POSTAL SERVICE.

AMALGAMATION OF HOLLA- I DATS AND WEBB'S LINES. {BY ELECTRIC TELE&RAPK.) Nelson, Nov. 28. " The Postmaster-General, after considerable, difficulty and protracted negotiation, has succeeded in arranging tho terms of a new contract for a mail service between New Zealand and San Francisco . with Mr Neilson, the accredited representative of the North Pacific Transportation Co. (Messrs llolladay and Brenham, San Francisco,) between which Co. and Mr Webb of New York, there has been an amalgamation of interests, and an arrangement entered into, by which Mr Webb's ships are to perform the service. The following is an outline of the arrangements entered into : The contractors are to - establish a line of mail steamers under the style and title of " The United States, New Zealand and Australian Line." The steamers to be employed are the Nevada, the Nebraska, and the Dacotah, with the proviso that the Moses Taylor may be temporarily used in the event of accident to any one of the three vessels named, and further that, should any of the three vessels become unserviceable, others are to be substituted, to be approved by the Post-master-General. The contract vessels are to be in every respect first-class mail and passenger steamers, and to be maintained as such. The contract is to be for ten years, subject to the condition that within six months from the arrival of the first boat at Wellington (say about the beginning of September) the Assembly may decide that the durance of the contract shall be for three years only, but the Government are to U3e their best endeavours to secure that ten years be the period accepted by the Assembly. The service first commenced is to be a temporary one, aud in the contract is described as Line No. 1. Three alternate lines are provided for, one of which will have .to be finally adopted, under conditions set forth in the contract, and which the Postmaster General proposes now to indicate to all the four lines. One feature is common, that the main boat runs from San Francisco to Port Chalmers, calling at Auckland, Wellington, and Lytttelton. Line No. 1, a steamer to leave San Francisco once in every calendar month, commencing on the 10th February next, and to proceed to Port Chalmers, calling at Auckland, Wellington, and Lytteltou; and to return from Port Chalmers to San Francisco, once in every calendar mouth, calling at Lytteltou, Wellington, and Auckland. Two ports rnay be visited, these ports to be selected by Mr Wilson, but to be within the Hawaian, 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 either of the coaliug ports and any ports 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 Aus tralia or New Caledonia, are to be equally divided between the New Zealand Government and the Contractor. Within six mouths 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 dine, 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 for 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 be sixty thousand pounds for thirteen completo services, including the branch lines, and all subsidies receceived from the : Australian' Colonies or from New Caledonia, are to belong wholly to the New Zealand Government. If within six mouths of the arrival of the first contract boat at Wellingdpn, the Post-master-General do not give notice to adopt line No. 2, the contractors may elect to carry out line No. 3 or lino 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 be paid the New Zealand Government ; they are to be at liberty to establish branches to any Australian Colonies, or to New Caledonia from New Zealand,,but they are not to run any branch boats except from New Zealand ports. Tho payment for lino No. 3 is to be forty-thousand pounds, tiie contractors receive all subsidies paid by other colonies .and retaining tho amounts, less ten per cent, which they are to pay to the New Zealand Government. [ln consequence of the pressure on our columns, we were unable to completo the telegram having reference to the new postal service; the remaining portion being held over for a future issue]