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No, 54. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sib, — Eesident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 21st March, 1900. Your letter of the 17th February [not printed] to hand per " Mariposa," and contents are noted. The Homeward mails went through all right, and caught the " St. Paul," and she is reported passing Scilly this afternoon (contract date). There is a bad mess with the outward mails : it is reported that thirty-five bags of mail have missed connection at Chicago, and will not be here until to-morrow. I have been telegraphing all day in an endeavour to ascertain the identity of the mails, as, if they contain letters, of course we shall have to hold the steamer; but at this writing (4 p.m.) nothing has come through. 5 p.m.—Just received advices that the delayed mails consist of two letter-bags for Honolulu ; seven bags for Papeete, Society Islands; six bags for Samoa, ten bags of newspapers for Australia, and six of newspapers for Honolulu. Under these circumstances, and after consultation with Mr. Dryden, I have concluded to let the vessel proceed to sea to-night. I hope this may be in accordance with your views. There is nothing of special importance to report further as far as I have been enabled to ascertain. Neither the Hawaiian Territorial Government Bill nor the Perry-Payne Subsidy Bill has as yet been finally passed. I am, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Eesident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 55. The Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sik, — Eesident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 21st March, 1900. ¥ * * * # * In regard to the serious delay occasioned to the " Mariposa's " mails in December last, I have now received a communication from Washington which I enclose for your information. From this reply it would appear that this delay was unavoidable. I cannot, however, help feeling that the necessary promptitude and interest are not always displayed in the Omaha connection that should be given to this important connection. And I have again to report that advices are just to hand to the effect that some thirty-odd bags of mail destined for transmission to-day per " Mariposa" have missed connection at Chicago, and will not reach here until to-morrow (Thursday) evening. I have communicated, through the Eailway mail-service, by telegraph, in an endeavour to ascertain whether these mails contain letters or papers, as, if the former, it probably will be advisable to delay the departure of the " Mariposa " in order to connect. This is quite annoying, and I trust is not the result of carelessness at the transfer-point. [Same report as in No. 54.] I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Eesident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

Enclosure 1 in No. 55. The Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Supekintendent of Foeeign Mails, Washington. Sib, — Eesident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, sth January, 1900. I have the honour to direct your attention to certain delays and misconnections lately occurring in the overland carriage of mails destined to the Australian Colonies while in transit from New York to San Francisco, with a view of invoking your aid in remedying the same. The late acceleration of the westbound express from New York has enabled the contract mailsteamers at this port to arrange a departure at 8 p.m.- on Wednesday evening, which, if mails are delivered on time, permits a saving of some four hours on the old schedule. This saving is an important one, and may secure a considerable gain on the through time to the colonies, by permitting daylight arrivals and also departures at the intervening ports, notably that of Apia. In order to enable the through service to secure as far as possible the full advantage of the earlier arrival of trains at this port, the steamers as before stated are now scheduled to leave San Francisco at 8 p.m., the fast train being scheduled to arrive at 5.15 p.m. We are, however, only enabled to make a departure at this hour by absolutely securing the connections lately arranged, which in the case of connections at Omaha and Ogden are quite close ; and should these connections be missed at any point, serious delay to the through service is occasioned. In the case of the last departure, that of the 27th of December, our mails did not reach this city until 7.15 a.m. on the 28th ultimo. As I am given to understand, the present arrangement of the through service is as follows, namely : Leave New York by the Hudson Eiver and New York Central Railroad at 9.15 p.m. ; arrive at Chicago by the Lake Shore Eailroad at 8.30 p.m. next evening; leave Chicago by the Burlington route at 9.30 p.m.; arrive at Union Pacific transfer, Council Bluffs, at 7.55 .m. (train