E.—No. 2,

40

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

Petition printed at p. 29.

The Memorial has been duly transmitted by the last mail to the Eight Honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies. I enclose a New Zealand Gazette Extraordinary of the 15th ultimo, in which the Eesolutions and Minutes of Proceedings of the Postal Conference, and other documents connected therewith, are published for general information. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South "Wales. E. W. Staffoed. Note.—Similar Letters sent to Chief Secretary, South Australia; Chief Secretary, Victoria; Colonial Secretary, Queensland ; Colonial Secretary, Tasmania.

No. 18. Copy of a Despatch from Governor Sir Geoege Geet, K.C.8., to the Eight Hon. Earl of Caehaetos. Mt Loed, — Government House, Wellington, 26th April, 1867. I have the honor herewith to transmit for presentation to Her Majesty the enclosed petition, signed by the Eepresentatives of the Government of New Zealand and of the several Australian Colonies, who took part in a Postal Conference recently held in the City of Melbourne. At the same time, I have the honor to transmit a eopy of a Memorandum I have received from my Eesponsible Advisers in relation to this petition, and, in conformity with their request, I have the honor earnestly to recommend the prayer of the petition to the favourable consideration of the Imperial Government. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon. G. Geet.

Enclosure in No. 18. Memorandum by Mr. Staffoed. Mikistees respectfully request His Excellency to transmit to the Eight Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies, for presentation to the Queen, the accompanying Memorial to Her Majesty, signed by the Eepresentatives of the Governments of the several Australasian Colonies who took part in the Postal Conference recently held in the City of Melbourne. This Conference was held for the purpose of determining what answer should be given by the Australasian Colonies to the Circular Despatch from the Earl of Carnarvon, of the 22nd September, 1860, on the subject of the arrangements to be made for the conduct and maintenance of the postal service between Great Britain and the Colonies alluded to. This important question was discussed at great length by the Eepresentatives of the several Colonies, and the conclusions which were ultimately arrived at were embodied in resolutions, of which a copy is enclosed; these resolutions were agreed to unanimously. Ministers do not disguise from themselves that the share of the Colonial moiety of the cost of the proposed postal services, which is allotted to New Zealand in these resolutions, is large in proportion to its present population, its resources, and the amount of its correspondence. Looking, however, to the full consideration which was given to this as well as to other branches of the subject by the members of the Conference, —to the great advantages which would result to all the Colonies concerned from the carrying into effect of the comprehensive scheme proposed, which would afford to the several Colonies equal facilities for communication with all parts of the world, —and to the very great difficulty which would now be experienced in obtaining the general consent of the Colonies to any other arrangement, —Ministers entirely approve of the assent which was given by the Eepresentatives of New Zealand to the resolutions above mentioned, and they earnestly trust that the proposals embodied in them will be given effect to. Ministers tender the accompanying Memorial as their answer to the Circular Despatch from the Earl of Carnarvon, of the 22nd September last, and they trust that His Excellency will be able to recommend the prayer of the Memorial to the favourable consideration of the Imperial Government. His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B. E. W. Staffoed.

No. 19. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. E. ~W. Stafford to Ceosbie "Wabd, Esq. Sie,— Colonial Secretary's Office, "Wellington, 16th April, 1867. I am directed by His Excellency Sir George Grey to express to you the high sense entertained by the Government of New Zealand of the valuable services rendered by you in representing its views at the recent Postal Conference at Melbourne, and to state that the Government is desirous to obtain for the Colony the benefit of the assistance you would be able (on your return home) to render it in London, in connection with the re-arrangement of the postal services between Great Britain and Australia, which is now under consideration. The negotiations conducted by you on behalf of this Colony with the Government of New South Wales in respect to the Panama service, and the part taken by you, as one of the Eepresentatives of New Zealand at the late Postal Conference in Melbourne, have placed you fully in possession of the views of this Government in reference to existing postal services, and to the more permanent arrangements recommended by the Conference. The Government will therefore feel indebted to you if you will undertake to afford to the Imperial authorities any explanations which may appear to you to be required as to the views of the New Zealand Government on both the subjects above mentioned, and will represent the Colony in the discussion of any modification which may be proposed in the general scheme recommended by the Conference.