B.—No. 4.

No. 1. Mr. H. IL Hah to the Hon. W. Eox. Sir, — U.S. Consulate, Sydney, 2nd November, 1869. I purpose putting on a monthly line of steamers to ply between this and San Erancisco, touching at the Bay of Islands, thence to Honolulu, and on to San Erancisco, provided your Government hold out sufficient inducement in the mail subsidy, otherwise the route will be via the Eijis. The time occupied being—from Sydney to Bay of Islands, 5-_- days; thence to Honolulu, 14 ; thence to San Erancisco, 8-_-; thence to New York, 6; from New York to Liverpool, 10: making a total, 44 days. After the line is well established, I hope to reduce this to 40 days. My present intention is to start the first steamer early in January, 1870; but if lat once succeed in making all necessary arrangements, it may be by the middle of December, 1869. Trusting you will favour me with an early reply, stating your full views, I have, &c. The Hon. W. Eox, Premier, IL 11. Hall, U.S. Consul. Wellington, N.Z.

No. 2. Messrs. Roxburgh, Slade, and Spain, to the Hon. Julius Vogel. Dear Sir., — Exchange, Sydney, 12th January, 1870. We now send you —1. Original Contract with Mr. Hall. 2. Duplicate of Mr. Hall's letter to you. 3. Original letter from the Secretary of the A.S.N. Co. to you. 4. Copy or duplicate of letter from yourself to the Company. 5. Copy of the Charter-party. We have, Sec, The Hon. Julius Vogel. Eoxbueoh, Slade, and Spain.

No. 3. Copy of Contract. Memorandum of Agreement made the eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, between the Honourable Julius Vogel, the Postmaster-General of the Colony of New Zealand, and a Member of the Executive Council of the said Colony, acting as Agent for and on behalf of the Government of the said Colony, hereinafter called "the Postmaster-General," of the one part, and Hayden Hezekiah Hall, of 21, Bridge Street, Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Esquire, United States Consul, hereinafter called " the Contractor " of the other part, witnesseth that the said Contractor doth hereby, for himself, his heirs, executors, and administrators, covenant and agree with the said Postmaster-General, his successors and assigns. And the said Postmaster-General, for himself as Postmaster-General, his successors and assigns, and for tho said Government of New Zealand, dolh hereby covenant and agree with the said Contractor, his executors and administrators, in manner following —that is to say : — 1. That the said Contractor shall every month during this agreement, at the times hereinafter mentioned, run a full power steam vessel, efficient in all respects, from Sydney to Auckland, in New Zealand, and thence to Honolulu direct, without touching at any intermediate port or place, except with the consent in writing of the said Postmaster-General, and shall thereby convey Her Majesty's mails. And also shall, at his own cost, convey or provide for the conveyance of such mails from Honolulu to San Francisco, by proper and efficient steam vessels; and shall in like manner provide for the conveyance of such mails from San Erancisco to Honolulu aforesaid; and shall also every month, in like manner, run a full power steam vessel as aforesaid, from Honolulu to Auckland aforesaid, direct, and thence to Sydney; and shall thereby convey Her Majesty's mails. 2. That the said Contractor shall at all times during the continuance of this agreement, as hereinafter provided, put on board and carry by such steam vessels all Her Majesty's mails, which shall at any time by the said Postmaster-General, or any of his officers or agents, be required to be conveyed by tho said steam vessels respectively, whether the said mails shall belong to New Zealand or to any other Colony, place or country. But no mails other than those belonging to New Zealand shall be received on board, or carried in the said steam vessels, without the written consent or directions of the said Postmaster-General, or of some officer or agent acting under his directions or on his behalf. 3. That the steam vessels engaged in carrying out this arrangement shall be called " The California!., New Zealand, and Australian Mail Line of Steam Packets," and shall be so described in all advertisements and public announcements referring to them. 4. That nothing in this agreement contained shall exempt the steam vessels engaged in carrying out this agreement from being subject to all the laws and regulations in force for the time being in New Zealand, relative to the survey and inspection of passenger steamers. 5. That the times within which the said Contractor shall convey, or cause to be conveyed, the said mails by the said steam vessels, between Sydney and San Erancisco, and deliver tho same, shall be as follows:—

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.