E—No. 4,

12

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

printed copy of the contract for tho California Service, and requesting me to observe that it is therein agreed that the vessels carrying the mails should be exempt from charges for pilotage, lighthouse dues, and wharfage at the Port of Auckland. In reply I have much pleasure in giving you an assurance on the part of the Provincial Government, of their cordial assent to the exemption made, and also to inform you that they will willingly consent to any loss which it may entail on the Provincial revenues. I have, &c. The Hon. tho Postmaster-General, Thomas B. Gilltes, Auckland. Superintendent.

No. 17. Memorandum for His Excellency the Governor by the Hon. J. Vogel. Ministers respectfully forward to His Excellency two printed copies of the contract for the establishment of a mail service between Sydney, Auckland, and Sau Erancisco; also, a letter to Her Majesty's Postmaster-General. There is every reason to expect that tho neighbouring Colonies will contribute to the extent required of them, and that in any case the service will continue. Ministers desire to move His Excellency to forward the enclosed letter to the Postmaster-General, and himself to recommend compliance with tho proposals it contains. Should His Excellency make his communication through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, it would be desirable to urge that there should be no delay in submitting it to the Postal authorities. Auckland, Bth February, 1870. Julius Vogel.

Enclosure in No. 17. The Hon. J. Vogel to tho Eight Hon. the Postmaster-General, London. My Lord, — Auckland, New Zealand, Bth February, 1870. I have the honor to forward for your information, two printed copies of contract for mail service between Sydney, Auckland, and San Erancisco, by which you will observe that the Government of New Zealand have entered into a contract with Hayden Hezekiah Hall, Esq, United States Consul at Sydney, to establish a monthly line of mail steamers between Sydney, Auckland, and San Erancisco, with every prospect of the service being continued, and for the maintenance of which this Colony will spare no exertion. The first homeward steamer will leave Sydney on the 26th March next, and Auckland on the 2nd April, and will arrive at San Erancisco about the 27th of April. In tho months of May and June the steamers will leave Auckland on the 4th of these months respectively, and in July and each succeeding month on the 7th. The return steamers will leave San Erancisco for Auckland and Sydney on the 10th of each month. I will, therefore, feel obliged if you will cause all correspondence for New Zealand, originating in, or in transit through, the United Kingdom, and not specially directed via Suez, to be sent in mails addressed to New Zealand via New York and San Francisco, on such dates as will ensure their reaching San Francisco on tho 9th of each month. So far as this Colony is concerned, tho rates of postage on correspondence originating in it for the United Kingdom, and forwarded by this route, will be the same as those collected on correspondence sent by the Suez route. But should the rates on foreign correspondence sent through the United Kingdom via San Francisco and New York, be different from those collected on such correspondence for the Suez route, I will be glad if you will cause an amended list of such rates on foreign correspondence sent through the United Kingdom from New Zealand via San Erancisco and New York to be forwarded to me, for the guidance of this department in crediting the London Office with tho proper amount of postage on this class of correspondence. I have also to inform you that a Mail Agent from the New Zealand Post Office will accompany each outward and inward mail, whoso duty it will be to make up on board the steamers, on the voyages between New Zealand and San Francisco, the mails for the United Kingdom, Sec, from this Colony ; and if desired by you, that those for Great Britain should be made up into two or more portions, I shall be glad to cause such to be done, in accordance with any direction which you may be please to give. The Mail Agent on the return voyage will also sort the inward mails for New Zealand, and divide them into separate or Provincial mails, to suit the circulation established in the Colony. In the meantime, and until I receive instructions from you to the contrary, the form of letter bill which was used for the mails for the London Office when sent via Panama, will be used for the mails which will be forwarded via San Francisco and New York. Besides the mails for this Colony, closed mails for tho Australian Colonies may also be forwarded by this route, each Colony's mails being separate and respectively addressed. In the view, therefore, of the importance of this mail service both to the United Kingdom and these Colonies, I trust the Imperial Postal Authorities will grant to it the same allowances and privileges in postages, Sec, which they granted to the service via Panama, or make some substantial contribution to the subsidy. It will be observed that the subsidy is a small one, on the understanding that it will be supplemented by contributions from other quarters. I have, Sec, The Right Hon. the Postmaster-General, Julius Vogel, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 18. The Hon. J. Vogel to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir, — Auckland, 19th February, 1870. On the Bth instant I addressed a letter to the Hon. the Postmaster-General (duplicate