D.—No. 1b

Enclosure to No. 25. Copy of Resolutions passed at a Meeting of the Chamber of Commerce 28th June 1864. That this Chamber recognises the importance of direct Mail Steam Communication between Victoria and the Province of Auckland. That with a view to carrying out the foregoing resolution: This Chamber recomends.— Ist, The substitution of the Port of Melbourne for the Port of Sydney, and the Port of Manukau for the Port of Atckland. 2nd, That the Mail steamer leave Melbourne on or about the 10th of each month, and return ia time to meet the homeward Mail which leaves Melbourne on the 20th of the same month. 3rd, That as the advantages will be mutual this Chamber recommends, that the amount of subsidy be paid in equal proportions, by the Government of Victoria and the Government of the Province of Auckland. 4th, —That a copy of the foregoing resolution be transmitted to the Hon. the Postmaster General of New Zealand, and to the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce Melbourne. No. 26. General Post Office, Auckland, 4th July 1804. Sin, — 1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ult. covering a copy of Resolutions passed by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting convened for the purpose of considering the desirabiliiy of subsidizing a steamer potween Auckland and Victoria. I atn directed by Mr. Whitaker in the absence of tho Postmister General, to request you to be good enough to inform him of tho purpose for which the Resolutions were forwarded to this Department, I have, Ac, G. Eliott Eliott, Secretary. The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Auckland. No. 27. Chamber of Commerce, Auckland, 20th August 1864. Sir,— 1 am requested to acknowledge the reoeipt of your letter of the 4th July last. I have, Ac, J. W. Harrop, Secretary G. Eliott Eliott Esq. Ac, Ac. No. 28. Victoria, Chief Secretary's Office, Melbourne, 26th September 1864. Sir — The subject of direct Steam Postal communication to and from this Port and Auckland and the Northern Provinces of New Zealand, has for some time past occupied the attention of the Government of this Colony, and tho necessity for securing tho rapid and regular transmission ofthe Mails between the places "named, was on a recent occasion forcibly urged by the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, through a deputation of gentlemen from that body who waited upon me with reference to this important matter, and who were informed that this Government would be disposed to consider favorably, and to lend their aid to any scheme for establishing regular and permanent Mail communication by steamers between Melbourne and the places in New Zealand before mentioned. The" object of this communication is therefore to invite the cooperation of the Government of New Zealand in an endeavour to establish a line of Mai! Steam Packets between the Northern Island and Victoria ; and to submit that this object would be best attained by an alteration in the arrangements ofthe Intercolonial (New Zealand) Eoyal Mail Steam A rcssels by which Melbourne would be made the Port of departure and arrival for the steamers employed in the conveyance of the monthly English Mails to and from the Northern Provinces of New Zealand. It may be fairly estimated that the time that would be saved by this change in connection with the inward and outward English Mails, would be at last equal to the duration of the voyage to and from Melbourne and Sydney.

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