F.—3.

30

No. 70. Mr. Tolhuest to the Seceetaet to the Teeasttby, Wellington. Sic,— Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, 23rd December, 1874. At the request of Messrs. Lawrence, Clark, and Co., of London, I have the honor to make application, on their behalf, for payment of the following subsidies, which they state to be due to their firm, in respect of certain advances specially made against them, viz.: — Mail of Bth June, from Auckland 30th „ „ London (" Tartar") „ 6th July „ Auckland „ 28th „ „ London (" Macgregor"). I enclose, for your information, copy of letters from Messrs. Lawrence, Clark, and Co. to our London office, dated 30th October; letters from Messrs. Lawrence, Clark, and Co. to Sir Charles Cooper, dated 29th October; C. A. Fearon to Agents-General for New South Wales and New Zealand, 6th October; C. A. Fearon to Scott, Henderson, and Co., dated 30th October, which please return. I have, &c, G. E. TOLHTTEST, The Secretary to the Treasury, Wellington. Manager.

No. 71. Mr. Geat to Manages, Bank of New Zealand, Wellington. Sic,— General Post Office, Wellington, 28th December, 1874. In returning you the enclosed documents which accompanied your letter of the 23rd instant, addressed to the Secretary to the Treasury, I have the honor to inform you that you will be communicated with on the subject of Messrs. Lawrence, Clark, and Co.'s claim in the course of a few days. I have, &c, The Manager, Bank of New Zealand, Wellington,. W. Geat.

No. 72. Mr. Gbat to Manages, Bank of New Zealand, Wellington. Sib,— General Post Office, "Wellington, 18th January, 1875. With further reference to your communication of the 23rd ultimo, I have now the honor to inform you that the Government are advised that the information they are in possession of is insufficient to justify their meeting the claims preferred by you on account of Messrs. Lawrence, Clark, and Co., of London. 2. I am to add that a copy of the correspondence has been forwarded to the Hon. Mr. Vogel for his information. I have, &c, The Manager, Bank of New Zealand. Wellington. W. Geat.

No. 73. The Agent- Genebal to the Hon. J. Vogel. 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, "Westminster, S.W., Sib,— ■ 7th August, 1874. My telegrams of the 23rd and 31st of July, and of the 6th instant, will have already informed you of the critical position in which the mail service via San Francisco is at present placed. I have now the honor to forward, for your information, several letters which have reached me on the subject, by reading which you will be better able to understand all the circumstances of the case. 2. The first letter to which I would direct your attention is one of the 31st of July from Messrs. J. Mackrell and Co., with whom I immediately consulted on becoming aware that the contractors were likely to fail in carrying out their engagements. You will observe that the general result of Messrs. Maekrell's inquiries is unfavourable to the hope of recovering penalties from the sureties. 3. I have next to direct your attention to a letter addressed to Messrs. Mackrell on the 24th of July by Mr. Cunningham, of Boston, in tlie United States, and which was before me when I telegraphed to you yesterday that I regarded the contract as abandoned by Mr. Forbes. 4. The three letters which follow are from Messrs. Lawrence, Clark, and Co., of the City, agents for the contractors —that of the sth instant being addressed officially to Sir Charles Cowper and myself; one of the 3rd to Sir Charles Cowper; and one of the Ist to Captain Jopp, his secretary. I have, as you will be already aware from my telegrams above referred to, declined to do more than recommend the payment of the Government subsidy to the Bank of New Zealand, which I understand holds Mr. Forbes's power of attorney to receive all subsidies earned by him, in order that such subsidy may be transmitted to the owners of the vessels, who, I am told, have obtained the concurrence of Mr. Forbes to such payment. I have, &c, I. E. Feathebston, The Hon. Julius Vogel, C.M.G., "Wellington. Agent-General. P.S.—As the mail is closing, I receive a further letter, of which I think it well to send you a copy. It is addressed to Mr. Mackrell by Mr. Marshall, of the Eoyal Mail Steam Packet Company.