THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE

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E.—No. 2.

No. 4. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South Wales, to the Hon. E. W. Stafford. (No. 68-7385.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Sir,— Sydney, New South Wales, 12th January, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo, transmitting an instrument appointing the Postmaster-General of New South Wales to be agent for the PostmasterGeneral of New Zealand in connection with the Panama Mail Service. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand, Henry Halloean. Wellington.

No. 5. Mr. Scudamore to the Hon. J. Hall. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 25th September, 1868. The Postmaster-General has received a letter from the Director-General of the French Post Office, inquiring on wdiat terms mails can be transmitted between France and Tahiti, and the other French possessions in Oceania, in the event of arrangements being made for connecting those possessions with the Colonial mail packets between Panama and New Zealand, at some point in the Pacific; and I am to request that you will inform His Grace what charge per ounce of letters, and per pound of printed papers, would be made by the New Zealand Post Office for the carriage of the French mails referred to, to and from Panama. Under the terms of the Postal Convention between this country and France, the French Post Office has the power to send closed mails to any French possession by a British mail packet for a sea postage of 6d. per ounce for letters, if the distance does not exceed 2000 miles, and Is. per ounce if exceeding 2,000 miles ; and sd. per pound for printed papers, irrespective of distance. I have, &c, The Postmaster-General, Wellington, N.Z. F. J. Scudamore.

No. 6. The Hon. J. Hall to the Secretary, Post Office, London. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 24th November, 1868. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th September, 1868 (192), requesting to be informed what charge per ounce of letters, and per pound of printed papers, would be made by this department for carriage by the mail packet between Panama and New Zealand of mails to and from Tahiti, and other French possessions in Oceania. In reply, I have the honor to inform you that Mons. Villemsens, an officer of the French Imperial navy, recently visited this Colony, accredited by the Tahitian Government to make arrangements for the conveyance of the mails above alluded to, and I herewith enclose a copy of the correspondence which passed between that officer and myself on this subject. Mons. Villemsens expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the arrangements thus arrived at; but should you be of opinion that they require modification, I shall be glad to consider any suggestions with which you may furnish me. It would, however, be necessary to obtain for such modification the assent of the Now r South Wales Government. I have, &c, John Hall, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 5 of this series.

Panama Papers, 1868,N05.44t048, p. 40, E. No. 2.

No. 7. Mr. Eliott Eliott to Mr. Coebett. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 12th September, 1868. I am directed to inform you it is probable mails for Tahiti may occasionally reach your office in the Auckland mails from Panama, in which case you will be good enough to retain such mails at your office until a vessel from the Tahitian Government arrives at Auckland, by which they can be forwarded. • I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott, The Chief Postmaster, Auckland. Secretary.

No. 8. Mr. Corbett to Mr. Eliott Eliott. Sic,— _ Chief Post Office, Auckland, 2nd October, 1868. With reference to your letter instructing me that mails for Tahiti received via Panama are to be retained in this office for transmission by Tahitian Government vessels, I beg leave to inquire whether I must retain the mails notwithstanding that a British merchant vessel might be sailing direct for Tahiti prior to arrival here of the Tahitian Government vessel ? I ask the question because in this port it is by no means an unlikely contingency, and is one with respect to which it is advisable that there be no misunderstanding. I have, &c, W. Coebett, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Chief Postmaster.

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