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No. 4. The Acting-Managee in Austbalasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne, to the Hon. the Postmasteb-Geneeal, Wellington. Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Sib, — Melbourne, 25th January, 1900. I have the honour to inform you that my company gave formal notice on the 23rd instant to the Agent-General for South Australia, on behalf of all of the Australasian Colonies except Queensland, to terminate the existing tariff agreement, both for Australasian and New Zealand traffic, on the 30th April next. I have, &c, J. Euston Squiee, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Acting-Manager in Australasia.

No. 5. The Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Postmasteb-Geneeal, Adelaide. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist February, 1900. Squieb advises that his company given your Agent-General, on behalf of colonies except Queensland, notice to terminate in April next existing tariff agreements both for Australian and New Zealand traffic. Presume you will forward copy of notice, and indicate proposed action. Still a deficiency on Sydney-New Zealand cable-traffic.

No. 6. The Postmastee-Genebal, Adelaide, to the Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Adelaide, 9th February, 1900. Company gives notice of termination on 30th April of all existing tariff agreements both for Australasian and New Zealand traffic.

No. 7. The Postmastee-Genebal, Adelaide, to the Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Adelaide, 14th February, 1900. Oue Agent-General, on the 24th ultimo, telegraphed as follows : " Eastern Extension Telegraph Company has to-day handed to me, as the authorised channel for communication to colonies concerned, formal notice of termination, on 30th April next, of existing tariff agreements both for Australasian and New Zealand traffic." The Government here will advise your Government officially. I thought you had been advised officially, but I find on inquiry that the docket had been inadvertently mislaid.

No. 8. The Hon. the Pbemieb, Adelaide, to the Hon. the Peemieb, Wellington. (Telegram.) Adelaide, 15th February, 1900. Oub Agent-General telegraphs as follows: "Eastern Extension Telegraph Company has handed to me, as the authorised channel for communication to colonies concerned, formal notice of termination, on thirtieth April next, of existing tariff agreements both for Australasian and New Zealand traffic."

No. 9. The Deputy Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Postal and Electric Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Sib,— Sydney, 20th February, 1900. With reference to the formal notice given on the 23rd ultimo by the Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (Limited) to the Agent-General for South Australia, on behalf of all of the Australasian Colonies except Queensland, to terminate on 30th of April next the existing tariff agreement both for Australasian and New Zealand traffic, I am directed to request that you will be so good as to advise me what action your department proposes to take in connection with the matter. It is thought that, in the absence of any fresh agreement, the company will have power to raise the rates to any amount it pleases, although, of course, it would not be likely, in its own interests, to make them higher than what would be sufficient to secure the amount at present guaranteed— namely, £20,000 per annum. This department would not, however, advise that any guarantee at all be given in future, it being considered that the tariff should be made sufficiently high to obviate the need for one—that is, if the company cannot see its way to be satisfied with the present revenue from the cables of