THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE

45

E.—No. 2.

Enclosure in No. 51. The following arrangements with regard to the accounts for correspondence conveyed by the Panama mail steamers have been agreed upon by the undersigned officers of the General Post Offices, New South Wales and New Zealand, subject to the approval of the Postmaster-General of each Colony:— 1. That quarterly accounts current be rendered by each Colony to the other, showing on the credit side the gross collections on correspondence, &c, by outward mails, and the full amounts due on inward mails from the United Kingdom and Panama; and. on the debit side the proportion due to the United Kingdom on outward mails, and for amounts collected on insufficiently paid letters, &c. Foreign postage not to be brought into account; only such items as are divisible to be included. 2. The accounts rendered by New Zealand to include the cost of Isthmus transit on all mails. 3. The accounts rendered by New South Wales to include the amount levied from the noncontracting Colonies, as all charges on such mails, whether forwarded through the Post Office New South Wales, or New Zealand, are to be collected by the former Colony. The necessary information (as regards mails forwarded direct to Wellington) to be supplied by New Zealand, by means of duplicate letter bills. 4. As the charges for mails to or from non-contracting Colonies are to be collected by New South Wales, it will be more convenient that the general accounts bo prepared by that Colony. 5. These general accounts to show the whole of the transactions in connection with the service, and to be prepared annually for the purpose of adjustment of the accounts between the two Colonies. 6. A statement as far as practicable showing weight of mails from and to non-contracting Colonies which have passed through Wellington direct, since establishment of the line to date, to be furnished by New Zealand with the least possible delay, in order that Now South Wales may collect the amounts, and bring them into the first general account. Fras. Nightengale, Accountant, G.P.0., Sydney. General Post Office, Sydney, N.S.W., W. Gray, 30th September, 1868. Inspector of Post Office, New Zealand.