F.—B.

No. 60. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 18th October, 1900. .Referring to your letter of the 30th August last and to previous correspondence, I beg to transmit copy of further correspondence which has taken place with respect to the introduction by New Zealand of universal penny postage. Id will be seen that the Imperial Government have agreed to the institution of penny postage between the United Kingdom and New Zealand as from the Ist January next, and also between the colony and every other part of the British Empire included in the penny-postage scheme which was adopted by the Conference of 1898. With regard to the establishment of penny postage with other countries, the General Post Office points out that it rests with New Zealand to treat direct with any foreign Post Office wioh respect thereto. * * * -'- # * I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. P. Beeves.

Enclosure 1 in No. 60. The Agent-General to the Eight Hon. the Postmaster-General, London. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— Bth October, 1900. 1 have the honour to address you on the subject of the proposed introduction of universal penny postage in New Zealand. On the 17th August you sent a telegram to the PostmasterGeneral, Wellington, asking whether it was universal or Imperial penny postage that the colony propose to establish, and on the 20th August a reply was telegraphed to you that the proposed postage would be universal and not Imperial. The Government of New Zealand fully understand that outside the Empire New Zealand can only establish penny postage with such countries as are willing to exchange under the provisions of the Postal Union Convention, and by way of preliminary action the Director-General of the International Bureau of the Universal Postage Union at Berne was apprised by cable of the colony's intention to establish the universal rate. My Government would be greatly obliged if you could see your way to use your influence with the International Office and Post Offices of the principal foreign countries' to secure that New Zealand may be enabled to extend her penny-postage scheme as widely as possible. My Government also confidently assume that you will give your assistance to enable it to Establish the penny rate within the Empire with all those offices the Governments of which have already given their adhesion to penny postage. ****** I have, &c, W. P. Beeves. The Bight Hon. the Postmaster-General, St. Martins-le-Grand, E.C.

Enclosure 2 in No. 60. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-General. Sir,- General Post Office, London, 9th October, 1900. With reference to my letter of the 23rd August last, [Enclosure 6 in No. 24], acquainting you with the intention of the Postmaster-General to communicate to Her Majesty's Government his cordial concurrence in the proposed adhesion of the Post Office of New Zealand to the scheme for penny postage within the British Empire, I am directed to inform you that the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, after consultation with Mr. Secretary Chamberlain, have agreed to the institution of penny postage between the United Kingdom and New Zealand as from the Ist January next. It is, I need not remind you as a member of the Conference which discussed the penny-postage scheme in 1898, an essential principle of the measure that it is applicable to the reciprocal relations between any two postal Administrations participating in it —that is to say, on the Ist of January next the rate of postage on letters will be reduced to Id. the half-ounce, in both directions, not only between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, but between the colony and every other part of the British Empire included in the scheme. Steps will, of course, be taken here to notify the change to the British possessions concerned, as well as the Postal Union generaily, in due time. The Postmaster-General is communicating the decision of Her Majesty's Government to the New Zealand Post Office in a letter explaining the general conditions attaching to penny letterpostage within the Empire. Meanwhile, you may desire to apprise your Government in advance by telegraph. Since the Postmaster-General received the decision of the Treasury your letter of the Bth instant has been received. As regards the request of the New Zealand Government that this Department will use its influence with the International Bureau of the Union and the Post Offices of the principal foreign countries to secure that New Zealand may be enabled to extend the penny-postage scheme a

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