THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

13

E.—No. 1.

packets, and pattern parcels, when sent as part of Her Majesty's Mails across the Isthmus of Panama, and I am directed to express to you the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General of New Zealand at the course taken by your Company, which cannot fail to be attended with beneficial results to the public without any ultimate loss of revenue to the Company. Care will be taken that henceforward the three articles referred to shall be packed in separate boxes and properly marked. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott, The President, Panama Eailway Company, Panama. Secretary.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GOVERNMENTS OF AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. No. 22. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. A. Bltth to the Hon. E. W. Stafford. Sir, — South Australia, Chief Secretary's Office, Adelaide, sth September, 1866. I have the honor, by desire of His Excellency Sir Dominick Daly, to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 13th ultimo, enclosing copies of correspondence on the subject of the Panama Steam Postal Service; and to inform you in reply, that His Excellency's Government do not consider it desirable to send a delegate to represent South Australia at the Conference proposed to be held at Wellington. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. Arthur Blytii.

No. 35 of Panama Papers, 1866, page 23.

No. 23. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. A. Macalistee to the Hon. E. W. Stafford. Sib,— Brisbane, 19th September, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th ultimo, with enclosed copy of a communication addressed by you to the Government of New South Wales on the subject of the present Steam Postal Service with the United Kingdom via Panama, in which it is proposed that a meeting of delegates from the several Colonies interested in this Service shall be held at Wellington. This subject has already received the careful consideration of this Government, and as the question of a route via Torres Straits is one more immediately aft'ecting the interests of Queensland, the Government regret their inability to appoint a delegate for the purposes of the proposed Conference. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. A. Macalistee.

No. 24. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. J. Whtte to the Hon. E. W. Stafford. Sir, — Tasmania, Colonial Secretary's Office, Bth November, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th August, enclosing a copy of a letter which you had addressed to the Government of New South Wales, on the subject of the present Panama Steam Postal Service. In that letter you propose a Conference of Delegates from the various Colonies of Australia and New Zealand, with the view of determining upon some plan to secure the co-operation of the Governments interested in the maintenance of this postal line. In reply to your communication, I have the honor to inform you that this Government is not disposed to send a delegate to the Conference, which you suggest should be held at Wellington. Had Melbourne been selected, which from its central position would appear the most convenient, this Colony would in all probability have joined in the proposal; but while thus declining to acquiesce in the arrangement as suggested, I shall bo anxious to hear when the delegates have met and come to a conclusion, the result of their deliberations ; and this Government will be desirous to entertain any equitable proposition that may be submitted, with an earnest desire to join in an undertaking likely to prove mutually advantageous to the several Colonies in this quarter of the globe. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, New Zealand. James Whyte.

No. 25. Copy of a Letter from Mr. S. P. Hardinge to the Hon. John Hail. Sir, — Tasmania, General Post Office, Hobart Town, 24th September, 1866. I am directed by the Hon. the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your communication dated 25th July last (F. 66-106), forwarding a few letters, packets, and newspapers that had been received by the Panama steamer, addressed to Tasmania, and informing him that pending arrangements which were then under consideration, and to obviate inconvenience from delay, the PostmasterGeneral at Now Zealand had decided to forward the letters, &c, to their destinations at once, appending to your letter a Eeturn of the number and weight of the letters, &c, received. In reply, I am to acquaint you that several merchants and others in this city desire to forward letters occasionally via Panama,*but as we are ignorant of the arrangements you refer to, we are unable to announce the closing of mails by this route until we are in possession of information from Sydney or Wellington on this subject; and I have therefore to request the favour of your informing me of the decision which the Government of your Colony has arrived at in relation to this matter. I have, &c, S. P. Haedinge, The Postmaster-General, &c, "Wellington. Secretary. 4