21

F.—3.

No. 36. Mr. Geat to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 4th June, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th ultimo, enclosing copy of correspondence between your department and the Post Office authorities at Noumea, New Caledonia, respecting the use by New Caledonia of the mail service via Sau Francisco. 2. In reply, I am directed to inform you that the Acting Postmaster-General of this colony agrees, as a temporary measure, to New Caledonia forwarding closed mails by the temporary San Francisco Mail Service upon the same terms as closed mails from France for New Caledonia are now forwarded. 3. I am to add that so soon as the permanent service is established the matter should be further considered, with the view of a more satisfactory and substantial arrangement being agreed upon. I have, &c, W. Gbay, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Secretary.

No. 37. Mr. Lambton to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, Sydney, 17th June, 1875. With reference to previous correspondence respecting the transit of closed mails to and from New Caledonia by the San Francisco route, I am directed to inform you that, pending a decision as to whether a subsidy should be sought from the French Government for the conveyance of such mails, the Postmaster-General would propose that mails for and from New Caledonia be forwarded between Sydney and San Francisco on the same terms as those of the neighbouring colonies, viz.: — s. d. Letters ... ... ... ... ... ... 17 per oz. Packets ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 per lb. Newspapers ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 6 „ In order to simplify matters, it is thought that the suggestion should be made both to the London and the New Caledonia Offices, that the latter shall account for and pay direct to this office the above charges on the gross weight of all Noumea correspondence conveyed in either direction between Sydney and San Francisco, leaving any charges made in America, England, France, or elsewhere to be a matter of arrangement between the French and the other Post Offices. It may be mentioned that these terms would be the same as those on which the Victorian Government undertakes to convey New Caledonian mails via Galle. I am to state that Mr. Burns will be glad of the opinion of the Postmaster-General of New Zealand upon this subject. I have, &c, S. H. Lambton, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Secretary.

Vide Nos. 27, 34, and 35 of this series.

No. 38. Mr. H. H. Hall to the Hon. J. Vogel. The Australasian and American Mail Steamship Company, Sib,— Sydney, 31st July, 1874. I have the honor to inform you that a telegram has been received to-day, notifying that the " Tartar" sailed on the 28th from Frisco for Sydney via Auckland. I will undertake to have the " Cyphrenes" at Auckland to convey her mails and passengers South, and return with the outward mails and passengers from Auckland direct to Frisco via Honolulu without touching at Kandavau. The " Tartar" will proceed on to Sydney, and will have to be withdrawn from the service, owing to the mishaps to her hull and machinery. The " Macgregor" will be ordered to come direct from Frisco via Honolulu to Auckland. I shall be compelled to carry on the temporary service with the "Macgregor," " Mikado," and "Cyphrenes," and temporary boat from here to Auckland, and from Auckland to Port Chalmers, alternately. I have the honor to request that you will have the goodness to direct that my subsidy be paid in Sydney monthly, to the order of the Government of New South Wales, for the purpose of paying, in connection with this Government the charter money of the ships employed in the temporary service. This will give a security to both Governments for the continuance of these steamers. lam compelled to take this step, an I find my agents in London, for some accountable reason, have failed to cover charter moneys and other necessary expenses there. By making the charter money payable in Sydney, we hold an entire control over the vessels employed, and the agents in London will not be able to detain or alter the voyage of the different steamers. A telegram from London, dated the 25th instant; states that the first of Elder's ships for the new service will leave London in November next. Assuming this to be the case, it will relieve one of the temporary ships in January; and February, March, and April next will, in all probability, end this service. My advices from London dated the 12th ultimo inform me that the first of Elder's ships would be launched at the end of this month, and the first of Laing's in August next. I have, &c, The Hon. J. Vogel, Premier, Wellington. H. H. Hah.