REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE STEAM POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1861 Session I, F-04

F—No. 4

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE STEAM POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Appointed June 13th. Report brought up July 28rd, 1861.

F—No. 4.

2

The Committee appointed 13th of June 1861 to consider and report on the Steam Posta. arrangements existing between the Australian Colonies and the several Provinces of New Zealand have carefully considered the subject referred to them, and having examined evidence upon the several matters embraced in the enquiry entrusted to them, have agreed to the following Report. That your Committee recommend the Steam postal service to be extended and re-arranged in accordance with the Time Table appended to this report marked No. 1 as soon as circumstances will permit. This service will require one boat to run between Melbourne and Nelson via Otago, Canterbury and Wellington; and one boat between Sydney and Wellington via Auckland and Napier, leaving the Interprovincial service to be performed by the Airedale as at present. This service gives a monthly mileage of 8688 miles and will require five or six efficient Steamers for its proper performance. Your Committee recommend that the sum of £6,000 be placed on the Estimates as an additional subsidy to be paid to the inter-Colonial Royal Mail Company whenever they are in a position to undertake such additional service with proper and efficient Steamers. Under this arrangement it is understood that the Otago and Canterbury Provincial Governments will be Teleased from the seperate sum £3500 which they at present contribute for a separate service. That your Committee learn from the evidence of the General Manager of the inter-Colonial Royal Mail Company, that the Company will not, under any circumstances, be in a position to undertake such a service for some time, and your Committee therefore recommend that the Steamer running from Sydney to Nelson as at present, be placed on the line from Sydney to Wellington, via Auckland and Napier, (leaving the inter-Provincial service to be performed by the Airedale,) in accordance with the Time Table appended to this Report marked No. 2. This alteration of route being strictly within the requirements of the original contract, does not involve any increase on the present subsidy, and your Committee recommend its adoption. And your Committee further recommend that a boat be put on between Sydney, Nelson and Wellington, and vice versa, to run monthly, and that for this service your Committee recommend the sum of £2500 to be appropriated as subsidy. It is understood that if the inter-Colonial Royal Mail Company run this boat through to Otago, they shall be at liberty to run the Airedale no further South than Nelson, and the Auckland boat no further South than Napier. In reference to so much of the Time Tables hereunto annexed as provides for the arrival and departure of the Mails in the Manukau, your Committee beg to remark that the performance of this part of the contract would be greatly facilitated by a survey being made of the outside South Channel, the true coarse through the Channel indicated by Beacons erected upon the shore, the Channel buoyed, and sailing directions published. Your Committee beg to call the attention of the Government to that part of the contract which authorises a survey of the vessels employed in the Mail Service, and recommend that the power of survey thereby given, be put in force. In considering the subject of Postal Service referred to them, the state of the Passenger Traffic has been brought incidentally before your Committee, and in closing their Report, they would beg to recommend to your Honourable House, that an Act be passed for the better regulation of the Passenger Traffic by vessels frequenting the Ports of the Colony. J. C. Firth. Chairman, House of Representatives, 23rd July, 1861.

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE STEAM POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

EEPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON STEAM POSTAL SERVICE

3

F—No. 4.

TIME TABLE No. 1.

INTER-PROVINCIAL.—"AIREDALE."

English Mail due in Molbourno June 12th. English Mail due in Sydney ... June 5th. Boat A. Boat B. Leaves ... Melbourne ... June 13th Leaves ... Sydney June 16th n ... Bluff ii 20th ii ••• Auckland ... 26th n ... Otago >) 22nd ii •■• Napier ii 29th Canterbury... ii 24th Arrives ... Wellington... ii 30th it ... Wellington... ii 26th Leaves ... Wellington... July 5th Picton ii 27th yi Napier ii 7th Arrives ... Nelson ii 28th ii ••* Auckland ... ii 12th leaves ... Nelson July 5th Arrives ... Sydney ii 20th ,, ... Picton 6 th ,» ... Wellington... JJ 8th „ Canterbury... 10th 31 ... Otago tt 13th 11 '■• Bluff 14th Arrives ... Melbourne ... J> 22nd Service taken up by Boat C. Service continued by Boat D.

Leaves Manukau June 24th j> ••• Taranaki j) 25th J» ••• No 1st n 27th J, Wellington ... >» 29 th » ... Canterbury ... July 1st J, ... Otago )) 3rd )) ••• Canterbury ... )) 5th >) •■* Wellington ... )) 7th „ .... Nelson i> 9th * •■' Taranaki )j Wth Arrives ... Manukau 11th

F—No. 4.

4

EEPOET OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON STEAM POSTAL SERVICE.

TIME TABLE No. 2.

INTER-PROVINCIAL.—"AIREDALE." English Mail of June having arrived in Auckland June 22nd, the Taranaki and Nelson Mails to be transferred to the "Airedale" in the Manukau.

Transfers Mails to Boat A. in Auckland Harbour.

!nglish Mar due in Sydney ... une 15ti Boat A. Boat B. leaves Sydney June 15th Leaves Sydney July 15th, and follows the same route a! Boat A. Lrrives ... Auckland 22nd leaves ... Ditto 25th Lrrives ... Napier 27th leaves ... Ditto 28th Lrrives ... Wellington 29th Waits till the Airedale brings up the Canterbury & Otago Mails, then leaves ... Wellington July 7th Lrrives ... Napier 1,1 8th leaves ... Ditto Ml 9th lrrives ... Auckland 11 11th weaves ... Auckland with Nelson and Taranaki Mails 11 13th Lrrives ... Sydney 11 20th

Leaves Mamikau June 23rd Arrives Taranaki ... * n 24th Leaves Ditto J? 25th Arrives Nelson >» 26th Leaves Ditto >> 27th Arrives Wellington j> 28th Leaves Ditto j> 29th Arrives With Canterbury and Otago Mails » 30th Canterbury Leaves Ditto July 1st Arrives Otago 2nd Leaves Ditto >j 4th Arrives Canterbury ... » 5th Leaves Ditto JJ 6th Arrives Wellington M 7th Transferring Mails to Boat A. Leaves Wellington JJ 8th Arrives Nelson ... JJ 9th Leaves Ditto » 10th Arrives Taranaki... ... » 11th Leaves Ditto J) 12th Arrives Mannkau,,. JJ 13th