FURTHER DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW ZEALAND.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1883 Session I, A-02a

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1883. NEW ZEALAND.

FURTHER DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW ZEALAND.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

SCHEDULE.

No. 1. The Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 18th April, 1883. I have the honour to transmit to you a copy of a letter from the Admiralty, stating that the Lords Commissioners have had under their consideration the desirability of developing and increasing the efficiency of such Naval or Coast Defence Forces as may have been established in Her Majesty's Colonies for the protection of the ports, commerce, or coasts of those Colonies, and, with that object in view, suggesting the co-operation of Governors of Colonies with the several Naval Commanders-in-Chief in obtaining information of the nature indicated in their letter. It will no doubt be an advantage to a Colony to receive from time to time an independent report on its defensive arrangements; and, if your Ministers concur in the suggestions of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, I shall be glad to be informed that-you are prepared to co-operate with the Naval Officer in command in carrying out the wishes of the Admiralty in this matter. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government DEKBY. of New Zealand.

Enclosure. The Admiralty to the Colonial Office. Sie, —, Admiralty, 6th December, 1882. My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty desire me to request that you will state to the Earl of Kimberley that they have had under their consideration the desirability of developing and increasing the efficiency of such Naval or Coast Defence Forces as may have been established in Her Majesty's Colonies for the protection of the ports, commerce, or coasts of those Colonies. 2. With this object they would invite the concurrence of his Lordship in giving directions to the Commanders-in-Chief or Officers Commanding on the following stations, within which Her Maiesty's Colonies are chiefly situated, viz., North America and West Indies, Capo of Good Hope

No. in Series. Original Number and Date. Subject. Page. 1 2 3 4 1882. (Circ.) April 18 (Genl.) June 5 (No. 35) June 23 June 27 I Suggesting that Naval Officer Commanding should inspect and report upon 1 Naval or Coast Defence Forces Siam has given its adhesion to the International Telegraph Convention .. 2 New Zealand and the Postal Union sea-service rates .. .. .. 2 Forwarding copy of Agreement for regulating the Postal Relations between 3 France and Australasian Colonies

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and West Coast of Africa, Australia, East Indies, China, to take opportunities, not oftener than once a year, of inspecting and reporting as to the efficiency of any such Colonial, Naval, or Coast Defence Forces that exist within'the limits of their respective stations, and in further directing them, after such inspection,— (a.) To transmit a copy of the regulations which have been established for the organization, drill, and maintenance of the force, specifying any changes in the regulations introduced since the last inspection; (b.) To express their several opinions as to the efficiency of the forces ; (c.) To state to what particular service the forces could be applied in time of war, specifying whether they are purely local or for general service ; (d.) To add any recommendation they consider desirable to increase the efficiency of such forces, having regard to the resources of the Colonies to which they belong, and the special local requirements and hydrographical features of the ports in these Colonies. 3. Should his Lordship concur in these proposals, my Lords would suggest that instructions should be given to the various Governors of Her Majesty's Colonies to co-operate with the several Naval Commanders-in-Chief in carrying out these measures. I am, &c,. The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. G. Tkyon.

No. 2. The Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. (New Zealand, General.) Sir, — Downing Street, sth June, 1883. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Government, a copy of a letter from the Foreign Office, notifying the adhesion of Siam to the International Telegraph Convention from the 21st April of this year. I have, &c, Governor Sir W. F. D. Jervois, &c. DEEBY.

Enclosure. Sir,— Foreign Office, 31st May, 1883. Article 18, of the International Telegraph Convention, requires that adhesions to that Convention should be notified to the signatory Powers by the country in which the last Conference was held; and this duty, therefore, at present devolves upon Great Britain. As New Zealand, South Australia, Victoria, Capo of Good Hope, and Natal are parties to this Convention, I am directed by Earl Granville to request you to move the Earl of Derby to cause the Governors of those Colonies to be informed that Siam has given its adhesion to the International Telegraph Convention, such adhesion to date from the 21st April, 1883. I am further to request that you will at the same time state that the terminal and transit rate of Siam on international telegrams will be forty (French) centimes per word; that Siam will rank in the fifth class of States contributing under Article LXXYI. of the Convention to the expenses of the International Telegraph Office; and that the value of the local money will be calculated as three fuangs to a franc. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. T. V. Lister.

No. 3. The Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. (New Zealand, No. 35.) Sir, — Downing Street, 23rd June, 1883. I caused to be communicated to the Postmaster-General a copy of your Despatch No. 22, of the 22nd April last, respecting certain proposed alterations in the rates for sea-service fixed by the Postal Union; and I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Government, a copy of a letter from the General Post Office on the subject. I have, &c, Governor Sir AY. E. D. Jervois, &c. DEEBY.

Enclosure. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 18th June, 1883. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th instant, and to request you to convey to the Earl of Derby Mr. Fawcett's thanks for causing him to be furnished with a copy of the Despatch from the Governor of New Zealand concerning the proposed alterations in the rates for sea-service fixed by the Postal Union. I am to ask you to assure His Lordship that the views of the Government of New Zealand will be borne in mind in dealing with the question of the proposal to reduce the sea-rates. I have, &c, Sir E. G. W. Herbert, K.C.8., Colonial Office. S. A. Blackwood.

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No. 4. The Colonial Office to His Excellency the Governor. ■ Sir, — Downing Street, 27th June, 1883. I am directed by the Secretary of State to transmit to you the document specified in the annexed Schedule, which has been received from the PostmasterGeneral. I have, &c, EOBEET G. W. HEEBEET. The Officer Administrating the Government of New Zealand.

Schedule. Copy of the recently-executed Agreement for regulating the Postal Eelations between France and Australia.

Enclosure. Agreement regulating the Exchange of Correspondence between France and the French Colonies, of the one part, and the British Colonies of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, of the other part, as well as the Cost of Conveyance of Mails sent from the above-mentioned British Colonies to England or to other British Colonies and vice versa, by means of French Packets. The Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of the one part, and the Minister of the Posts and Telegraphs of France, of the other part—having regard to the Postal Convention, concluded the 24th of September, 1856, between France and England, and the Universal Postal Union Convention, signed at Paris the Ist of June, 1878—have agreed as follows : — Article I. There shall be paid to the French Administration, for the conveyance by sea of correspondence forwarded, by French packets, either from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and its possessions for Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, or from Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania for France, the French Colonies, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the British possessions, the sum of 25 francs for each kilogramme of letters and post-cards, and of 1 franc for each kilogramme of other articles. Eeciprocally, there shall be paid to the British Post Office for the conveyance by sea of correspondence forwarded by British Packets, either from France and the French Colonies for Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, or from French Colonies by way of Australia for France and other French Colonies, and vice versa, the sum of 25 francs for each kilogramme of letters and post-cards, and 1 franc for each kilogramme of other articles. Article 11. The French Postal Administration and the Postal Administration of each of the British Colonies of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania shall be at liberty to hand over to each other reciprocally, either a decouvert or in closed mails, correspondence for those countries in regard to which they can reciprocally make use of each other as intermediaries. In such case the despatching office will have to pay, in addition to the sea-transit rates specified in Article I. above, the cost of the further conveyance, which shall be determined by the intermediary office as far as possible in accordance with the rules of the Universal Postal Union. The Postal Union rules shall also be applicable to the settlement of the cost of the French land transit of the mails sent from England to Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, and vice versa, by means of French packets. As to mails from or for the same British Colonies carried by the service known as the Indian mail service, their conveyance through France will continue to be governed by the special conditions now in force. Article 111. There may be exchanged between France and the French Colonies, of the one part, and the British Colonies of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, of the other part,— Ordinary letters prepaid to destination or unpaid, according to the wish of the senders; Commercial papers, trade patterns without value, and printed papers of all kinds, prepaid to destination. Such articles shall not be forwarded unless prepaid at least in part. The postage payable on the correspondence in question shall be levied in accordance with the Table A annexed to the present agreement. On correspondence prepaid in accordance with this tariff, no postage can be levied from the addressees. Unpaid letters shall be charged on delivery with double the postage at the prepaid rate. Insufficiently-prepaid correspondence of all kinds shall be charged with double the deficient postage. Article IV. Correspondence of every kind shall be transmissible as registered, on payment by the sender of a fixed registration fee, which each Administration shall fix for itself, in addition to the postage payable on an ordinary article of correspondence of the same nature and the same weight. No special condition as to the shape or method of closing is prescribed for registered articles. Eegistered articles must be clearly marked by the despatching office with a special stamp or mark.

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The corresponding Administrations shall notify to each other the registration fee which they adopt, and shail furnish specimens of the impression of the special stamp applicable in their service to registered articles. Article V. Prepayment of postage on all descriptions of correspondence can only be effected by means of postage stamps valid in the country of origin. Each Administration shall bear the whole cost of the intermediary conveyance of the correspondence which it shall hand over to another Administration, and shall keep entirely the postage which it collects on despatch for prepaid correspondence, and on arrival for unpaid and insuffi-ciently-prepaid correspondence. Article VI. The present Agreement shall come into force on the Ist of May, 1883, and shall abrogate from that date all earlier stipulations which are contrary to it, especially the additional articles signed at London on the 3rd and at Paris on the 6th of January, 1862. It shall remain binding until one of the parties interested shall have announced to the other, six months in advance, its intention to terminate it. Nevertheless, the adhesion of one of the Colonial Governments of Australia, New Zealand, or Tasmania to the Convention of the Universal Postal Union shall entail, as a matter of course, the abrogation of the regulations of the said agreement as regards the mails to or from that colony, from the time of its entry into the Union. Done in duplicate, and signed at Paris the 26th of April, 1883, and at London the 30th of April, 1883. The Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom. Henry Fawcett. (1.5.)

A. —Rates of Postage for the Prepayment of Correspondence sent from France and the French Colonies to Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, and vice versâ.

Note.—Commercial papers, patterns, newspapers, and other printed papers, must be placed, in movable wrappers, in open envelopes, in bags, boxes, or cases easily opened, so as to render it possible to verify the contents. Such articles must not be closed with wax, with gum, or in any other way. Correspondence of this kind must not have on it, either outside or inside, other manuscript writing than the names and addresses of the sender and the addressee, the date of despatch, numbers and prices, and a simple dedication by the author. Passages in a printed text may be underlined.

Authority: Gboege Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB3.

Rates of Prepayment. Nature of the Correspondence. In France and in the In Australia, New French Colonies. Zealand, and Tasmania. Special Conditions to be fulfilled. Drdlnary letters commercial papers, not enclosing any letter or manuscript note of a personal character 60 cent, per 15 grammes or fraction of 15 grammes 60 cent, up to 300 grammes. Above 300 grammes, 10 cent. per 50 grammes or fraction of 50 grammes 10 cent, per 50 grammes or fraction of 50 grammes 6d. per -J- oz. or fraction of \ oz. 6d. up to 12 oz.; above 12 oz., Id. per oz. or fraction of an Maximum weight, 2 kilos. Patterns of merchandise, without commercial value oz. Id. per oz. or fraction of an Maximum weight, 350 grammes. Maximum dimensions — 30 centimetres in length. 20 „ breadth. 10 ,, depth. Maximum weight, 2 kilos. oz. Newspapers and printed papers of all kinds 10 cent, per 50 grammes or fraction of 50 grammes Id. per 4 oz. or fractionof4oz.