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No. 10. The Eight Hon. the Secretart of State fob the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. Mt Lord, — Downing Street, 12th January, 1912. With reference to my telegram of the 2nd January, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the accompanying copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, transmitting copies of the agreement to regulate postal rates upon letters passing between New Zealand and French Oceania, which His Excellency signed on the 29th of December. 2. The French Government have not yet stated their views as to the date on which the agreement should take effect. I will telegraph to you on this point when their views are known. 3. Your Ministers will observe that in the French text [not printed] of the agreement the word " convention " occurs in Article IV instead of the word " agreement." The attention of the French Government has been called to this error, but they do not consider it necessary to alter the text now that it has actually been signed. I have, &c, Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c. L. Harcoubt. [P.O. 12/316(1).] Enclosure" 1 in No. 10. His Excellency the British Ambassador, Paris, to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State, Foreign Office. Sir,— Paris, 30th December, 1911. With reference to my telegram of to-day's date [not printed], I have the honour to transmit to you herewith the agreement to regulate postal rates upon letters passing between New Zealand and French Oceania, which, in accordance with the instructions contained in your despatch of the 14th October last, I signed yesterday with the French Minister for Foreign Affaire. Twenty copies of the agreement are likewise enclosed herein. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P., &c. Francis Berths. Enclosure 2 in No. 10. Agreement to regulate Postal Rates upon Letters passing between New Zealand and French Oceania. The Government of His Britannic Majesty and the Government of the French Republic have agreed upon the following articles with a view of regulating the postal rates upon letters passing between the Dominion of New Zealand and French Oceania: — Article I. In accordance with the provisions of Article 21 (twenty-one) of the Universal Postal Union concluded at Rome on the twenty-sixth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and six, it is agreed to modify the postal rates on letters sent from New Zealand addressed to places in French Oceania and on letters sent from French Oceania addressed to places in the Dominion of New Zealand. Article 11. The modifications referred to in the preceding article shall be as follows : — Every letter from New Zealand addressed to French Oceania shall pay postage of one penny (ten centimes of a franc) for every ounce (28 gr. 349) or fraction of that weight, instead of two and half pence (twenty-five centimes of a franc) for the first ounce or fraction of that weight, and one penny half-penny (fifteen centimes of a franc) for every additional ounce or fraction of that weight. Every letter from French Oceania addressed to New Zealand shall pay a postage of ten centimes of a franc for every twenty grammes or fraction of that weight instead of twenty-five centimes of a franc for the first twenty grammes or fraction of that weight and fifteen centimes of a franc for each additional twenty grammes or fraction of that weight. Article HI. The Post Offices of New Zealand and French Oceania shall deliver the letters referred to in the preceding article without making any charge to the addressees, provided that such articles do not bear any indication of insufficient postage, in which case the provision contained in Article XI, paragraph 2, of the Detailed Regulations of the above-mentioned Universal Postal Convention of Rome shall be applicable. Article IV. This agreement shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by the respective Postal Administrations, and shall remain in force until six months after either of the contracting parties shall have notified to the other its intention of terminating the same. In witness whereof, the undersigned have signed the present agreement, and have affixed thereto the seal of their arms. Done, in duplicate, at Paris, on 29th December, 1911. Francis Bertie. J. db Selves. [The agreement is also made in French]