E.—No. 1.

In reference to this correspondence from France, the Director-General of the French Post Office has requested to be informed whether unpaid letters may bo sent to New Zealand and Australia by the route of Panama, and I am to request that you will inform the Postmaster-General what reply should be made to the Director-General. If you decide that such correspondence may be forwarded, the Post Office of New Zealand will have to account to this Department for the French and British inland postage at the rate of two francs forty centimes per ounce. The Postmaster-General, Ac, I have, Ac, Wellington. F. Hill.

No. 9. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. John Hall to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sic, — General Post Office, Wellington, 7th December, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist October last, No. 920r., on the subject of tho rates of postage to be charged on correspondence sent between the United Kingdom and New Zealand via Panama, and also inquiring whether unpaid letters from Prance may be sent to New Zealand by this route. With reference to this inquiry, I have the honor to inform you in so far as New Zealand is concerned it is not considered expedient to introduce a system of optional prepayment on correspondence with the Continent of Europe. Being unable to answer this question in so far as it relates to Australia, I have sent a copy of your letter to the Postmaster-General of New South Wales, requesting that he will communicate with you direct on the subject. I have, &c, John Hall, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 39 in this Series.

No. 10. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. John Hall to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sic,— General Post Office, Wellington, 16th October, 1866. With reference to my letter of the Bth ultimo, on the subject of the conveyance of the mails betweeii Great Britain and New Zealand by way of Panama, I have now tho honor to request that you will be good enough to cause all correspondence despatched from the United Kingdom to New Zealand to be transmitted via Panama, unless it is specially directed to be sent by some other route. You will probably have the goodness to cause such an amount of publicity to be given to this arrangement as will obviate any inconvenience to those persons who are in the habit of corresponding with New Zealand. With regard to the rates of postage to be charged on this correspondence, I beg to request that you will cause a rate of threepence each to be collected for account of this Colony on all newspapers sent via Panama, and on letters and books tho same rates as are now charged by way of Suez and Southampton. The postage which it is necessary to charge on newspapers, in order to cover the Isthmus transit rate, is so heavy, and is felt by the public of this Colony to be so serious a grievance, that I should feel very glad if any steps could be taken which would enable the New Zealand Government to reduce this charge. With this view, I should feel obliged if you would inform me whether you consider it probable that the Panama Kailroad Company would be induced, upon proper representation, to reduce the exorbitant charges now made by them for the conveyance of mails, at least upon that portion of the mails which consists of newspapers and book packets. I have, &c, John Hall, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. Postmaster-General.

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No. 11. Copy of a Letter from Mr. F. Hill to the Hon. John Hall. 3ie, — General Post Office, London, Ist November, 18G6. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth September last, on the subject of the arrangements for the transmission of mails, via Panama, between the United Kingdom and New Zealand. My letter of the Ist of last month will already have informed you that the rates of postage -applicable to correspondence forwarded from the United. Kingdom to New Zealand, by the route of Southampton and Suez, are now levied in this country on correspondence also forwarded via Panama. Directions have been given that, in compliance with the request contained in your letter above referred to, all correspondence for Wellington, Picton, Nelson, New Plymouth, and Napier, may in future be forwarded solely by the route of Panama, unless specially directed to bo sent via Suez; and further, that the correspondence for all the Australian Colonies sent via Panama, may bo made up in a separate mail for Sydney. Credit for the colonial share of the postage on the correspondence sent in such mail will be given in the Letter Bill accompanying it, and a copy of the Letter Bill will be sent to Wellington. The selection of this correspondence, when the mails for New Zealand via Suez are being made up, will necessarily occasion a good deal of trouble to the despatching officers, and there will always be a chance, especially at first, of some letters which ought to be kept back being sent by the Suez

No. 39 of Panama Papers, 1866, PaSe 25-

THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

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