E.—No. 4.

14

EAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

Service recently established between New Zealand and San Francisco, that this Government cannot at present enter into the proposed arrangement. I have, &c. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, John V. Bagot, New Zealand. Chief Secretary.

No. 22. The Hon. J. Vogel to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, ISlew South Wales. General Government Offices, Sir,— Auckland, sth April, 1870. I have the honor to remind you that you have not yet informed me whether you have made provision for contributiug month by month, pending other arrangements as suggested in my letter to you of the 10th January, 1870, for the carriage of the New South Wales mails to California, at the rate of ten thousands pounds a year, being the sum agreed on by the contract as that which should be asked from New South Wales —that Colony to make with Queensland such arrangement as tho two Colonies might mutually agree on. I understood that cither the Postmaster-General would arrange to make the payments out of ordinary services, or that on Parliament meeting special provision would be sought for the purpose. I beg you will believe that I am not actuated by any desire to hasten your arrangements, but by the wish, which you also I believe share, to do everything calculated to make a success of the new Mail Service from which so much benefit may result. I need not remind you that the moneys you pay will go to the Contractor, not to the Government of New Zealand. I have, &c The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Julius Vogel, New r South Wales. (pro Colonial Secretary.)

No. 23. Mr. S. H. Lambton to Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, Sydney, 26th April, 1870. Referring to the communication, dated the 3rd March last, addressed to the PostmasterGeneral of New Zealand by the Postmaster-General of New South Wales, on the subject of the conveyance of the mails of the last-mentioned Colony by the line of mail packets recently established between Sydney and San Francisco, I am directed to transmit for your information a copy of a letter, dated the 25th instant, which the Postmaster-General of this Colony has addressed to the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, which will no doubt be communicated through the proper channel to the Government of New Zealand. I have, See., The Secretary General Post Office, Wellington, S. H. Lambton. New Zealand.

Enclosure in No. 23. Mr. S. IL Lambton to the Under Secretary, Sydney. Sir,— General Post Office, Sydney, 25th April, 1870. I am directed to request that you will be so good as to move the Colonial Secretary to cause a communication, with reference to previous correspondence on the subject, to be addressed to the Chief Secretary of New Zealand, intimating the willingness of the Government of this Colony to pay to New Zealand the sum of twenty shillings per pound (being the same amount as was charged to the non-contracting Colonies during the existence of tho Panama mail contract,) on the weight of all correspondence conveyed by the San Francisco mail route. 2. I am to state that it will of course be understood that such payment will only apply to correspondence received from and despatched to places beyond New Zealand, and not to correspondence received from or addressed to the Colony of New Zealand. 3. With reference to the last-mentioned correspondence, it should perhaps be observed that, under the postal laws of this Colony, the master of the steam packet would be compelled to convey it on payment of the usual gratuity of one penny per letter being tendered to him; but that this gratuity was not offered to the master of the " Wonga Wonga," which left on the 26th ultimo, and the Post-master-General is of opinion that the gratuity should not be offered to the masters of any of the steamers until instructions are received from New Zealand, as it is understood that under the contract (of which, however, the Postmaster-General has no copy,) the master of the steamer is prohibited from receiving any payment otherwise than direct from the Government of New Zealand. 4. I am to add that, in anticipation of the acquiescence of the New Zealand Government in this arrangement, this Colony will continue to dispatch mails by the steamers employed in this mail service. I have, Sec, Tho Principal Under Secretary, Sydney. S. H. Lambton.

No. 24. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South Wales, to the Hon. W. Gisboene. (No. 70-3321.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Sir,— Sydney, New South Wales, 271h April, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth instant, and to express