E.—No. 1.

mail, that the Directors, in the absence of advice as to any dates being agreed upon by the Governments of New Zealand and New South AVales, have deemed it advisable to arrange for the present that the steamer for Panama should leave AVellington on the Bth of each month, as per Hand Book received by last mail, copy of winch was furnished you on receipt. I am therefore instructed to request that you will be good enough to acquiesce in the adoption for the present of the dates given in the Circular, as the arrangements at Panama are based upon those dates. I would respectfully beg for a rejuy in sufficient time to enable me to advise the General Manager at Sydney and the Secretary at London, per Airedale, on the 14th inst. I have, Ac, Heney Lawson, The Hon. the Postmaster General, Sub-Manager. AVellington. Enclosure 2 in No. 19. Copy of a Letter from Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to Mr. H. Lawson. No. 119. General Post Office, AVellington, 11th May, 1866. Sir, —I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date requesting that an alteration may be sanctioned in the dates of departure of the vessels from Sydney and AVellington for Panama as given in your letter of 28th February last, to the dates specified in the margin (Sydney leave Ist, AVellington leave Bth), as per Hand Book lately published by the P.,N.Z. and A.R.M. Company, and referred to in your letter. A communication on the subject will be addressed to the New South AVales Government, whose consent is also necessary, by the first mail, recommending these dates to be adopted pending further experience in the matter, and the Postmaster-General has approved of their adoption in the meantime, until a reply is received from Sydney. The Postmaster-General will expect the first steamer to leave AVellington for Panama on the Bth of June next. I have, Ac, Henry Lawson, Esq., G. Eliott Eliott, Sub-Manager P.,N.Z. and A.R.M. Company, Secretary. Wellington. Enclosure 3 in No. 19. Articles of Agreement made and entered into the day of in the year of our Lord 1566 between His Excellency Sir George Grey Knight Commander 4 of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath Governor and Commander-in-Chiet in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand andits Dependencies and A Tice-Admiral of the same of the one part and His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir John YoungBaronet Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and Saint George Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of the Colony- of New South AVales and A Tice-Admiral of the same of the other part. AVheeeas by* a certain letter or memorandum iv writing dated the tenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five and signed by Isaac Earl Featherston the agent for that purpose duly authorised by the Government of New Zealand and by a certain other letter or memorandum in writing dated the twenty-second day of April one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five and signed by the Honorable Charles Cowper the Colonial Secretary of the Colony of New South Wales it was agreed between the said Isaac Earl Featherston as such agent as aforesaid and the said Charles Cowper on behalf of the Government of New South AVales that a certain postal service theretofore contracted for between the Postmaster-General of the Colony of New- Zealand and the Agent of the Panama New Zealand and Australian Royal Mail Company (Limited) for the carriage of Her Majesty's mails between England and New Zealand by way of Panama and vice versa should be extended for the benefit of the said Colony of New South W ales upon the terms in the said letters or memoranda respectively mentioned or referred to And whereas by certain article of agreement intended to bear even date with these presents and be made between the said Sir George Grey Governor.

Sylney, leave Ist. Wellington „ Bth

13

THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.