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Madras. Colonel Stanley duly caused a copy of your letter to be forwarded for the favourable consideration of the Secretary of State for India in Council, and I am now desired to transmit for your information a copy of a letter which has been received from the India Office on the subject. I have, &c, John Bramston. Sir Saul Samuel, K.C.M.G.; Sir P. Dillon Bell, K.C.M.G.; Eobert Murray Smith, Esq, C.M.G.; James F. Garrick, Esq, C.M.G.; Sir Wm. Sargeaunt, K.C.M.G.; Charles Todd, Esq, C.M.G.

Sub-Enclosure in No. 13. The India Office to the Colonial Office. Sir,— India Office, S.W., 16th December, 1885. I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 4th December, 1885, transmitting for favourable consideration representations from the several Australian Government Agents on behalf of their Governments in support of a reduction of the existing transit charge for conveyance of Australian telegraphic messages across India. In reply, lam desired to inform you that the Secretary of State for India in Council will at once forward these communications to the Government of India, with whom he is already in correspondence on this subject, and that, as soon as a decision has been arrived at, a further communication will be made by this department to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. I have, &c. The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. J. A. Godley.

No. 14. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel to the Chairman of Directors, United Press Association, Christchurch. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd January, 1886. Cable Company ask, as condition of reducing Press messages to threepence a word, guarantee of Press that three times the business will be done. Are you willing to give this? I think deputation told me they were. Julius Vogel, Hon. W. Eeeves, Christchurch.

No. 15. The Chairman of Directors, United Press Association, Christchurch, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Christchurch, 2nd January, 1886. Association agreed to this proposal when we met you in Wellington. The Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, Wellington. W. Reeves.

No. 16. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd January, 1886. Be cable subsidy. You are to pay a portion, and I should like your views. In my opinion, we should insist on a sixpence-a-word rate without five shillings for first ten words. lam communicating with Press Association re guarantee. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Julius Vogel

No. 17. Mr. O'Connor to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 6th January, 1886. Be New Zealand cable, have had interview with company's representative here, and following are most favourable terms I can make : Subsidy, seven thousand five hundred, to be continued ten years, on understanding that company renew cable at own expense, if required, during this period. Ordinary messages to be reduced to sixpence a word all round without minimum. Press messages threepence per word without Press guarantee. Matter Press messages cannot be finally settled by Mr. Squier without reference to directors at Home, as his instructions are to stipulate for Press guarantee of three times amount of business ; he has, however, communicated with England, and expects immediate reply. Meantime, I will be glad to know your decision re the ten years. Think you have already agreed on other points. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Daniel O'Connor.

No. 18. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Waiwera, 7th January, 1886. The resolution of our House of Eepresentatives binds us to not exceeding five years, to sixpence a word ordinary and threepence a word Press messages, and to not exceeding our present payment. The company must either agree to these terms or take its own course. Eive years ought to be ample. I understand you pay one-third, we two-thirds. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Julius Vogel.