FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE. (In continuation of Papers presented 23rd June, 1869.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1870 Session I, E-02

E,—No. 2,

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE. (In continuation of Papers presented 23rd June, 1869.)

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OF HIS EXCELLENCY. WELLINGTON. 1870.

E.— No. 2.

No. 1. The Hon. D. Egan to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, —- General Post Office, Sydney, 10th June, 1869. With a view to the adjustment of the Panama Mail Service Account between New Zealand and New South Wales, I do myself the honor to request that you will be so good as to cause statements to be furnished to this office, with as little delay as possible, showing the amounts collected by New Zealand, and the amounts credited to your office by the General Post Office, London, for correspondence transmitted via Panama. I have also to ask you to favour me with a statement of the weights of the mails forwarded to and from the non-contracting Colonies, via Wellington, for the purpose of enabling this office to render the necessary accounts to such Colonies, and to collect the amounts due for the services rendered. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, Dan. Egan, New Zealand. Postmaster-General.

No. 2. The Hon. D. Egan to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir,— General Post Office, Sydney, 9th July, 1869. I do myself the honor to acknowledge tho receipt of your letter dated the Bth June, 1869 (F. 69-75), together with its enclosures, on the subject of subsidies paid and still due to the Panama. New Zealand, and Australian Boyal Mail Company. In reply, I beg to state that, after careful"consideration of the whole matter, it appears that the Government of New South Wales is liable to that of New Zealand for the sum of £4,533 6s. Bd., less a moiety of £2,625, amount of penalties payable by tho Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Eoya Mail Company for non-despatch of steamers from Sydney in the months of January and February last. As these penalties are not of an ordinary nature, (the Company having become liable to them in consequence of their inability, through heavy losses, to carry on the service—a contingency which, I apprehend, was not contemplated when the contract was entered into), they cannot, it is thought, be claimed exclusively by the New Zealand Government, under the 6th clause of the Articles of Agreement between the two Colonies. It has, therefore, for the present, been decided to pay into the Union Bank, to the credit of your Government, the sum of £3,270 16s. Bd. only, until it is settled how the penalties are to be apportioned. Agreeing, however, with the sentiments of the New Zealand Government on the question of penalties, as conveyed in the letter dated the 28th January last, addressed to me by Mr. Hall, I am disposed to advise that this Government should waive its claim to a share of these penalties, provided the Government of New Zealand will do the same. With reference to that portion of your letter now under reply, which relates to the postage accounts between this Colony and New Zealand in connection with the Panama Mail Service, I beg to state that the matter will receive immediate attention, and will form the subject of a further communication to be addressed to you on an early day. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, Dan. Egan, New Zealand. Postmaster-General.

, Panama Papers, , 1869, No. 42, p. 19— E. No. 2.

No. 3. The Hon. J. Vogel to tho Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd August, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th June, and to forward No. 1 of this herewith, as requested, a statement of the weights of the mails forwarded via Panama, for London series, and Panama, from non-contracting Colonies in Australia ; and also a similar statement of the weights of mails from London and Panama. A statement showing the amounts of postage collected by New Zealand on correspondence by the Panama route, and of the amounts credited to this office by the General Post Office, London, for correspondence transmitted via Panama, was forwarded to you in my letter of the Bth June last. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Acting Postmaster-General.

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

E*-No. 2,

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EERTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO

Enclosure 1 in No. 3. STATEMENT of WEIGHT of MAILS forwarded via Panama, for LONDON and PANAMA, from Non-contracting Colonies in Australia.

Dates of Despatch from Wellington for Tasmania. Victoria. Tasmania. South Austealia. West Australia. lb oz. 8 0 lb oz. lb oz. lb oz. .866—24 June 24 July 9 September 8 October ... 8 November... 8 December... .867 — 8 January ... 6 February ... 8 March 8 April 8 May 8 June 8 July 8 August 8 September 8 October ... 8 November... 8 December... .868— 8 January ... 7 February ... 8 March 8 April 8 May 8 June 8 July 8 August 9 September 8 October ... 8 November... 8 December... Enclosed in Sydney Mail Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto 21 8 21 3 25 0 27 8 17 6 22 6 21 4 23 6 29 12 26 8 22 0 25 6 40 8 41 0 54 0 36 8 41 0 25 0 25 13i If any, in Sydney Mail Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Nil 10 If any, in Sydney Mail Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Nil If any, in Sydney Mail Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Nil 0 4 2 0 1 5 Enclosure 2 in No 3. Statement of Weight of Mails via Panama, from Loni Colonies in Australia 'ON and Panama, fc >r Non-contracting Date of Arrivals at "Wellington from Panama. VlCTOEIA. Tasmania. South Australia. West Australia. .866—24 July 25 August 2 October ... 23 November... 23 December... .867—27 January ... 24 February ,.. 11 April 25 April 25 May 25 June 25 July 27 August ... 26 September 27 October ... 22 November... 26 December... 1868—25 January ... 25 February ... 26 March 21 April 26 May 23 June 22 July 18 August 1 October ... 21 October ... 21 November... 21 December ... .869—27 January ... 24 February .,. lb oz. *12 13 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto t50 8 J241 0 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto 109 10 122 4 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto 115 2 87 0 Forwarded via Sydney 161 11 103 12 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto lb oz. 2 2 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto 2 8 47 0 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto 25 12 8 7 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto 21 0 15 8 Forwarded via Sydney 30 0 32 5 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto It) oz. 1 12 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto 12 0 53 0 Forwarded via Sydney .Ditto Ditto 37 8 26 12 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto 38 0 20 14 Forwarded via Sydney 50 2 58 0 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto It oz. 0 8 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto 4 2 8 8 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto 0 14 1 4 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto 2 0 0 8 Forwarded via Sydney 2 3 1 7 Forwarded via Sydney Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto * The corresponde: incorporated with the ec f This is from Pan; % From London or for Sydney. nee received by the " Rs n'respondence from Welli ama only, the correspond! lly, the correspondence fi akaia" on 24th July, II ington Office, ence from London havinj coin Panama, &e., being 166, was not made up i ; been enclosed in the Lo: inclosed in the Mail iron into separate mails, bui ndon Mail for Sydney. n the Marine Post Onici

THE EANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

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E — No. 2,

No. 4. Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to Mr. H. Lawson. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 6th September, 1569. I am directed to inform you that, by a communication received from the Postmaster-General, New South Wales, dated 9th July last, it appears that the sum of £3,270 16s. Sd. has been paid by the New South Wales Government into the Union Bank, on account of subsidies due to the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Boyal Alail Company. I am also directed to acquaint you that, taking the whole of the circumstances into consideration under which the penalty of £2,625 was inflicted on the Company for the non-despatch of a steamer to Banama in January and February last, it has been decided to repay this amount to the Company, and on receipt of a voucher for the moiety recovered by this Government (£1,312 10s.), it will be approved for payment to the person duly authorized to receive it on behalf of the Company. The PostmasterGeneral, New South Wales, has been informed of this decision, as the other moiety of the fine is payable by that Government. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott, H. Lawson, Esq., Wellington. Secretary.

No. 5. Mr. H. Lawson to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir,— Wellington, 17th September, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of letter dated 6th instant, intimating that £3,270 16s. Bd. of Panama subsidy had been paid to account of the Company at the Union Bank of Australia, Sydney, by the New South Wales Government, and that taking the whole of the circumstances into consideration under which the penalty of £2,625 was inflicted in January and February, it has been decided to repay the amount, one moiety at Sydney and one here ; but as there is a liability of the Company to the Union Bank here still open, and which Captain Hall left instructions should be settled here out of the sum available if these penalties were remitted, I beg respectfully to request that, as our Sydney accounts are now closed, if it can be so arranged, the full amount may be paid to the Manager of the Union Bank, Wellington. I would also point out that the above-named £3,270 16s. Bd. is £1,312 10s. less than balance of subsidies due by the Government of New South Wales : this will give £3,937 10s. for repayment. I have, &c., The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. Lawson.

No. 6. Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to Mr. H. Lawson. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 4th November, 1869. In reply to your letter of the 17th September, requesting that payment of moneys due to the Panama Company may be made in Wellington, I am directed to inform you that the Government has been advised that Mr. Young, the official liquidator, and no other person, can receive moneys due to the Company. I have, Ac, G. Eliott Eliott, Henry Lawson, Esq., Wellington. Secretary.

No. 7. The Hon. D. Egan to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, — General Post Office, Sydney, 10th November, 1869. I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter, and also of a corrected account showing discrepancies in the statement furnished by this office of the amount due by the Tasmanian Government on account of correspondence conveyed via Panama and Wellington ; and as this office is unable to decide whether the account as furnished by this office (which was prepared from information received from your office), or as altered at Hobart Town, is correct, I beg to request that you will favour me with your remarks thereon, and also with regard to the last paragraph of the accompanying letter. I have, &c., Dan. Egan, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, Postmaster-General. New Zealand. 2

EURTHER EAEERS RELATIVE TO

E.—No. 2.

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Enclosure 1 in No. 7. Air. A. C. Douglas to the Secretary, General Bost Office, Sydney. Sir,— General Post Office, Hobart Town, Tasmania, 13th October, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the Ist ultimo, transmitting a statement of account prepared at the General Post Office, Sydney, from information received from the General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand, showing a sum of £187 3s. 3d. to be due by the Government of Tasmania for the conveyance of mails, via Wellington, by the Panama Mail steamers. In reply, I beg to forward herewith a copy of the account in question, with certain alterations made therein by this office, together with explanations thereon, and to inform you that, upon intelligence being received by me that the corrections have been allowed, the amount, viz., £170 Bs. 3d., will be remitted to you. I take this opportunity of requesting the favour of your furnishing me at your early convenience with the particulars of any further claims against this Colony on account of the Panama Mail Service. I have, &c, A. C. Douglas, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney, N.S.W. Secretary.

No. 8. Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 13th December, 1869. Adverting to the correspondence between the Government of New South Wales and this Colony, respecting the repayment of penalties to the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Eoyal Mail Company, I have the honor to inform you that this Government is advised to pay to Mr. Young, the official liquidator in London, only, any sums which may be due to the Company ; and Mr. Lawson, the late sub-manager of the Company, has requested that all moneys may be remitted from New Zealand, through the Union Bank, to Mr. Young, as the Company has no longer any agent resident in Sydney who could receive money on its behalf.

Enclosure I in No i. Statement of Co] Amount Due by the General Post Oe 'respondonce conveyed via Panama and "V 'ice, Hobart Town, on Ac* rellington, New Zealand. :ount of Date in Wellington. Mails. Inward. Outward. Total. 1866. July 24 1867. * June 25 t July 25 % September 8 ... § November 8 ... November 22 ... December 26 ... 1868. March 26 || April 21 June 23 July 22 October 8 November 8 £ B. 0 2 d. 0 £ s. d. £ s. d. Weight of Mails, 21bs. 2oz. @ lid. per ft. Ditto. 2fts. 8oz. @ 20s. per ft. Ditto. 47fts. Ooz. Ditto. 1ft. Ditto. Oft. 4oz. Ditto. 25fts. 12oz. „ Ditto. 8fts. 7oz. „ 2 10 47 0 0 0 10 0 0 5 0 25 15 8 8 0 9 Ditto. 21fts. Ditto. 15fts. Soz. Ditto. 30fts. Ditto. 32fts. Soz. Ditto. 2fts. Ditto. 1ft. Soz. ,, 21 0 15 10 30 0 32 6 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 16 3 182 12 0 4 11 3 187 3 3 * Panama portion f London portion J This Mail was sc Slst December, 1867, v § The Mail to win South Wales, which an j] See Sydney accoi Panama Mail reaching :o above is in some wai General Post < i only, Mail from London having passed through Sydney. only, Mail from London having passed through Sydney. ent via Sydney, and is entered in the Sydney account of Mails despatched to Sydney via Panama, to which has been paid. ich this item refers was despatched via Sydney, and is included in the sum of £1 2s. 6d. paid to New nount is inserted in the account to 31st December, 1867. unt from 1st January to 30th June, 1868, 29th April, 141b. paid to Sydney. As no record of any Tasmania via Wellington during April or May can be found, it is supposed that the 141b. alluded y connected with this item. Office, Sydney, N.8.W., 30th August, 1869.

THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

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E.—No. 2,

To enable this Government to comply with this request, I should be obliged to you if you would transmit to me the moiety of the penalty retained by you for the non-despatch, of steamer to Panama in January and February last, on receipt of which this Government will remit the amount to the official liquidator, together with that portion of the penalty retained by ISTew Zealand. It is observed in your letter of the 9th July last, that a sum of £3,270 16s. 8d. had been paid by Nc you into the Union Bank to the credit of this Government. I shall also be obliged if you will let me sei know if this money is still lying in the Bank. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott The Postmaster-General, Sydney. (for the Postmaster-General).

No. 2 of this series.

No. 9. Mr. S. 11. Lambton to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, —■ General Post Office, Sydney, 15th December, 1869. I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter received from the Postmaster-General, Adelaide, forwarding copies of statements of accounts furnished by this office of the amount due by the Government of South Australia for the conveyance of mails by the Panama and New Zealand Boyal Mail Steamers, and pointing out a difference of £50 2s. 6d. between the account rendered from information obtained from your department, and one previously furnished, which was prepared from the books of this office; and, with reference thereto, I have to request that you will be so good as to favour me with an explanation of the apparent overcharge made on the first-mentioned statement of account. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, S. H. Lambton, New Zealand. (for the Postmaster-General).

Enclosure 1 in No. 9. Sir, — General Post Office, Adelaide, 30th November, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 16th instant, drawing my attention to your previous letter of the Ist September, with accompanying statement of amounts due by this Colony for conveyance of mails by the Panama Mail Packets, amounting to £296 6s. 7d., and regret the delay that has arisen in replying thereto, which however has been occasioned by the difficulty of checking the items. From your letter of the 29th May last, I was under the impression that the account forwarded therewith was for the entire amount due by this Colony on the termination of the service, but upon referring to the mail records of this office I find that the mails now charged for have been duly received, the only apparent error being the sum of £50 2s. 6d. for the mail of the 23rd June, 1868, and the entire of which mail appears to have been charged for in the account forwarded with your letter of the 25th November, 1868. I enclose a copy of the account referred to, and should be obliged if you could give me any further information as to this item, so that the amount due may be remitted to you. I have, &c., J. W. Lewis, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Postmaster-General.

Enclosure 2 in No. 9. GENERAL POST OFFICE, ADELAIDE, Dr. to GENERAL POST OFFICE, SYDNEY,

Date. Maiis. Inward. Outward. Total. 1868 une 1 ulyl ... uly2 ... Lugust 1 Lugust 1 September 1 September 2 Weight of Mail, 38fts. Ditto. 35fts. Ditto. 38fts. No Mail Weight of Mail, 22tbs. Soz. ... Ditto. 55fts. Ditto. 31fts. £ s. d. 35 0 0 £ s. d. 38 0 0 38 "6 0 £ s. d. S5 6 0 22 10 0 31 6 0 90 0 0 129 10 0 219 10 0

E.—No. 2

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FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO

Enclosure 3 in No. 9. STAEMENT of AMOUNT DUE by the GENERAL POST OFFICE, ADELAIDE, on Account of Correspondence conveyed via Panama and Wellington, New Zealand.

* Panama portion only, London mail, having passed through Sydney. t London portion only, Panama mail, having passed through Sydney. General Post Office, Sydney, 30th August, 1869.

No. 10. Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 20th December, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 16th ultimo, forwarding copy of a letter from the Secretary of the General Post Office, Hobart Town, together with a statement of account due by Hobart Town on account of correspondence via Panama and Wellington, New Zealand, from which a deduction of £16 15s. appears to have been made by the Hobart Town office, for reasons explained on the face of the statement. You state that this account, prepared by the Sydney office, was based on data received from this office, and request to be furnished with remarks thereon. In reply, I would observe that as the Tasmanian office has facilities for checking the account which, this office is not in possession of, it is presumed that the statement as amended is correct, and I would therefore recommend that it be accepted. In reply to the last paragraph of the communication from the Secretary of the General Post Office. Hobart Town, I beg to observe that no outward mails from Tasmania were sent through New Zealand after the date of the account, and the inward mails were sent to Sydney, where they no doubt would have been brought to charge against Tasmania. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. (for the Postmaster-General).

No. 7 of this series.

No. 11. Mr. Lambton to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, — General Post Office, Sydney, 21st January, 1870. In reply to your letter dated the 13th ultimo, I have the honor to inform you that from inquiries made at the Union Bank, the moiety (£1,312 10s.) retained by this Government for penalties for the non-despatch of steamers to Panama in the months of January and February last (which sum was paid into that Bank on the 12th October, 1869), and the sum of £3,270 16s. Bd. referred to in my letter of the 9th July last, have been handed over to the official liquidator of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Eoyal Mail Company. I have, &c., S. H. Lambton The Hon. the Postmaster-General, New Zealand. (for the Postmaster-General.)

No. 8 of this series.

No. 12. Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to Mr. H. Lawson. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 10th February, 1870. I am directed to inform you that the penalties remitted to the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Eoyal Mail Company by the New Zealand Government, amounting to £2,625, will be paid

Date in Wellington. Mails. Inward. Total. 1866 !uly24 ... 1867 r une 25 ... "uly25 ... November 22 December 26 1868 .larch 26 Lpril21 ... "une23 ... uly22 ... £ s. 0 1 d. 7 £ s. d. Weight of Mail, 1ft. 12oz. at lid. per ft. ... * Ditto. 12fts. at 20s. per ft. t Ditto. 53fts. Ditto. 37fts. 8oz. at 20s. per ft. Ditto. 26fts. 12oz. 12 0 53 0 37 10 26 15 0 0 0 0 Ditto. 38fts. Ditto. 20fts. 14oz. Ditto. 50fts. 2oz. Ditto. 58fts. „ 38 0 20 17 50 2 58 0 0 6 6 0 296 6 7 296 6 7

B.—No. 2.

to the official liquidator at London, through tho Union Bank here; and that the New South Wales Government report having already paid the official liquidator the amount due by that Colony. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott, Henry Lawson, Esq., Treasury, Wellington. Secretary.

No. 13. Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd April, 1870. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th December last, enclosing jf 0 . 9of this a copy of a letter received from the Postmaster-General, Adelaide, and forwarding therewith copies of series, statement of account furnished by the Sydney office, and of statement drawn up by the Adelaide office of the amount due by South Australia for the conveyance of mails by the Panama line of mail service, and pointing out a difference of £50 2s. 6d. between these statements. In reply, I. have to inform you that, on again investigating the matter, it is found that the account is correct. The mail for which £50 2s. 6d. is due was forwarded from Wellington to Melbourne by the " Otago." With regard to the discrepancies between the statements for conveyance of similar mails for the Colony of Victoria, referred to in your letter of the Ist December last, I am directed to inform you that there are reasons for assuming that the account rendered by the Melbourne office is correct, and it may therefore be accepted as such. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. (for the Postmaster-General).

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THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.