23

A.-2

No. 20. (Circular.) My Loed, — Downing Street, 27th August, 1892. I have the honour to transmit to you a copy of a letter from the General Post Office with reference to the question of the representation of the Australasian Colonies at the next Postal Union Congress, or at any administrative Conference which may happen to be assembled before the next Congress, and also with regard to the exercise of the collective vote which has been assigned to the Australasian Colonies by the Vienna Postal Convention; and I have to request that you will be good enough to inform me what arrangements have been made m the colony under your government for its representation and the exercise of the collective vote at Conferences and Congresses of the Postal Union. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government BIPON. of New Zealand

Enclosure. Sib, — General Post Office, London, 15th August, 1892. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant, in which, with reference to the letter of the 29th June, 1891, from this department, and subsequent correspondence, you inquire what communication Sir James Ferguson would now desire to be made to the Australasian Colonies on the subject of their voting in the affairs of the Postal Union. The Articles on this subject in the new Convention of Vienna are No. 25, No. 26, and No. 27; and it will be seen on comparing them with Articles 19, 20, and 21 of the Convention of Paris, with which they correspond, that the Congress of last year decided upon a slight modification of procedure. It would be of interest to the Postmaster-General to learn how the Australasian Colonies propose to elect a delegate, or delegates, for their representation at the next Congress, or at any administrative Conference which may happen to be assembled before the next Congress ; and, further, what method will be adopted in discussing those questions upon which the votes of the various countries and colonies forming the Union are taken, by means of circulars from the International Bureau, in pursuance of Article 26. Lord Knutsford is doubtless aware that since this question was the subject of correspondence between the Colonial Office and the Post Office, a Postal and Telegraphic Conference has been held at Hobart. At that conference a resolution was passed that, " The Colony of South Australia be requested to undertake communication with the Berne Bureau on business connected with the Universal Postal Union." It does not of course follow that the Post Office of South Australia is to be intrusted in an unconditional manner with the vote awarded to the colony when it corresponds with the International Bureau upon questions in which a vote is being taken, and the PostmasterGeneral would be interested to know what arrangements have been made between the Post Offices of Australasia in regard to the record of the collective vote through the medium of the South Australian Post Office. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. S. A. Blackwood.

No. 21. (Circular.) My Lord, — Downing Street, 29th August, 1892. I have the honour to transmit to you, for publication in the colony under your government, a copy of a treaty between the Governments of Great Britain and the United States of America, relative to merchant-seamen deserters, signed at Washington on the 3rd of June, and of which the ratifications were exchanged at Washington on Ist of August last; together with a copy of an Order of the Queen in Council, dated the 18th of August, extending the provisions of " The Foreign Deserters Act, 1852," to the United States. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government EIPON. of New Zealand.

Enclosure. Treaty between Gbeat Bbitain and the United States eespecting Merchant - seamen Desebtebs. (Signed at Washington, 3rd June, 1892. Eatifications exchanged at Washington, Ist August, 1892.) Whebeas the Governments of Great Britain and the United States of America are desirous to make provision for the apprehension, recovery, and restoration of persons who may desert from merchant-