THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE

3

E.—No. 3.a

Enclosure in No. 7. Copy of a Letter from Mr. S. 11. Lambton to the Hon. John Hall. Sic,— General Post Office, Sydney, 18th April, 1867. A Despatch has been forwarded from the Government of this Colony to the Government of the neighbouring Colonies, intimating that if they decline to contribute to the cost of the Panama Mail Service, the sum of twenty shillings per pound will be levied by New South Wales, on the gross weight of the mails from or to those Colonies, and requesting that simultaneously with the levying of this charge direct mails might be made up by the Colonies in question for transmission via Panama. As the copy of the Circular Despatch addressed to the Government has doubtless reached your office, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you with reference thereto that unless other arrangements are entered into in the meantime for the transmission of your mails by the Panama route, the charge of twenty shillings per pound will be levied on all mails to and from your Colony which may pass through this office, or the Post Office, Wellington, after the 31st May next. For your guidance in making up direct mails I have the honor to transmit copies of various communications received from the London Post Office, which with the following particulars will, it is hoped, enable the matter to be clearly understood by your Department, viz. : 1. It will be optional with you to forward your mails through Sydney or Wellington, or to receive them by way of Sydney or direct from Wellington ; but in either case you will be charged twenty shillings per pound on the gross weight of mails by this Colony or New Zealand as the case may be. 2. Apart from the charge of twenty shillings per pound (which includes the Isthmus transit rate) you will account to Great Britain on your outward mails for — One penny per half ounce letter, One penny per four ounce packet; and on your return mails it is presumed that tho London Office will credit you with— Fivepence per half ounce letter, Fourpence per four ounce packet. 3. The London Office has been requested to make up direct mails for your Colony, but should it decline to do so, the amounts last specified above will be credited to you by the Colony through which you may receive your mails. 4. It has been decided to use in the Sydney Office a Letter Bill for the London mails similar to that used by the London Office, and in order to promote uniformity of action on the part of the Colonies it is suggested that the same description of Bill be used by you. When printed, some copies of the Bill referred to will be forwarded to you. I now enclose a few copies of the Bill used for the Panama correspondence, should you deem it expedient to adopt such form of Bill for your mails for Panama. You will of course understand that the making up of direct mails by you and the levying of twenty shillings per pound by this Colony will commence simultaneously, and will take effect, unless otherwise arranged, with respect to all mails which shall pass through this office after the 31st May next. I have, &c., S. 11. Lambton, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, &c., Wellington. Secretary.

No. 8. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. E. W. Staffoed to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, New South Wales. Sic,— New Zealand, Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 16th May, 1867. Adverting to the correspondence which has taken place on the subject of the contract between the Government and the Panama New Zealand and Australian Eoyal Mail Company, for the Panama Steam Postal Service, and of the agreement in reference thereto entered into by the Governments of New Zealand and New South Wales, I have the honor to remind you that on the loth of May, 1566, I forwarded to you the draft of the contract in question, with a view to the suggestion of any alterations which it might appear to you to require, and that, after further correspondence on the subject, Mr. Crosbio Ward, the special Agent of the New Zealand Government, left with you, while he was in Sydney, the draft contract—the Government of New South Wales undertaking to revise and forward it, together with any alterations suggested therein, for the consideration of this Government. In March last the Postmaster-General of New Zealand went from Melbourne to Sydney, the principal object of his visit to the latter place being to obtain this document; and he informs me that he was assured by you that it would be sent by the " Egmont," which was to leave Sydney on the 6th of last month. As this document has not yet been received here, and as considerable inconvenience has arisen from the consequent delay in the execution of the contract for a service which has already been in operation for eleven months, I have to request you to be good enough to cause it to be forwarded to this office by the first opportunity. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South Wales. E. W. Staffoed.

No. 9. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. J. Dockee to the Hon. JonN Hall. Sic,— General Post Office, Sydney, 20th May, 1867. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 12th ultimo, enclosing a copy of a letter from the Secretary of the General Post Office, London, and your reply thereto, upon the 2