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No. 65. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Wellington Harbour Board, Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th March, 1902. Beferring to your letter of the 21st instant, in answer to mine of the 20th idem as to the relief from port dues of steamers belonging to the Pacific Cable Board whilst in Wellington, I beg to inform you that an opinion of the Solicitor-General has been obtained on the points raised by you, and is forwarded herewith. [Not printed ; states that the Harbour Board has the power to remit the dues.] Yours, &c, Thomas Bose, for the Secretary. The Secretary, Wellington Harbour Board, Wellington.

No 66. The Hon. the Electric Telegraph Commissioner, Wellington, to the Hon. the Commissioner of Trade and Customs, Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th March, 1902. In connection with the laying and maintenance of the Pacific cable, and the maintenance of offices at Doubtless Bay, I have the honour to request that you will be so good as to arrange to exempt from Customs dues all telegraphic material, stores, furniture, &c, which may be imported on behalf of the Pacific Cable Board or the contracting Governments, and to relieve the " Anglia," now about due, and other cable-steamers to arrive in the colony on business connected with the Pacific cable, from light dues, &c. Generally, the same concessions should be extended to the Pacific Cable Board as are granted the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company under their several agreements with the New Zealand Government. I have, &c, J. G. Ward. The Hon. the Commissioner of Trade and Customs, Wellington.

No. 67. His Excellency the Governor-General of Australia, Melbourne, to the Hon.-the PostmasterGeneral, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 27th March, 1902. I return you my grateful thanks for your kind message, and heartily reciprocate your congratulations on the auspicious event, the completion of which will do so much towards more closely uniting the interests of Australia and New Zealand with those of the Mother country.

No. 68. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 27th March, 1902. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your cablegram of the 26th instant, conveying to me the gratifying intelligence that the first section of the Pacific cable, connecting New Zealand with Norfolk Island and Australia, had been finally completed ; and in reference thereto I desire to express my thanks to you for sending to me one of the first messages by that route. I join with you in the hope that the end of the year will see the completion of this important enterprise. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. W. P. Beeves.

No. 69. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Ottawa, 27th March, 1902. Bejoice with you in successful completion of New Zealand section Pacific cable. Trust like success may attend remainder of work. Pacific cable, when completed, must have far-reaching effect upon commercial and political life of British Empire.

No. 70. The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) London, 27fch March, 1902. I share your pleasure at completion first links cable, which I trust will be laid throughout before close year, and unite still more closely Australasia with Mother country.