E.—No. 4,

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

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Enclosure 1 in No. 11. Mr. E. W. WnEELEE to the Hon. F. D. Bell and Hon. Dr. Feathehstox. The Atlantic and Pacific Steam Ship Corporation (Limited), Temporary Offices, Palmerston Buildings. Bishopsgate St.. EC., Hon. Sies, — London. 14th February. 1870. I beg to acknowledge your esteemed favour of yesterday's date, addressed to the " Provisional Directors of the Atlantic and Pacific Company," and to express their regret that circumstances should have transpired to restrain you from further treating with them, for the conveyance of the New Zealand mails to and from England, until the receipt of your next Despatches. Notwithstanding the telegraphic communication referred to in your communication, it appears very questionable whether any contract has been signed by the New Zealand Government with parties who are capable of effectively carrying out a permanent British and Australian Postal Service via San Francisco ; and I am therefore instructed to hand you the Tender herewith, for the conveyance of the mails between England and New Zealand, in the manner and time therein expressed, and at the same time to accompany it with similar tenders* which we are prepared to make to the Australian Governments whose interests will be served by the establishment of the service. To accomplish this object with as little delay as possible, this Company has purchased three of the boats lately running between Panama and Wellington, and will be prepared to despatch them to their respective Pacific stations, as soon as they can be got ready for sea. These steamers, although not so large as those it is contemplated to build for the purpose, have proved themselves efficient, commodious, and popular boats, and, by making a temporary use of them, the company will be in a position to commence the service on the acceptance of their tenders. It is hardly necessary for me to state that the capital and connections of this Company will be such as to serare the proper performance of any contract it may make, its commercial success being all but certain, from the new channels of trade that will be opened up, and the support that will be received from the Emigration League, the Great Western Railway of England, and the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, the two latter of which have already granted large concessions, and are also pledged to secure the comfort and punctuality of the land portion of the service. I may add that the proposed branch from Fiji Islands to New Zealand will be in no way inferior to any other portion of the route, the vessels engaged being selected with a view to maintain the same speed, and afford the same kind of accommodation, as those on the main route between San Francisco and Fiji. I have, &c, The Hon. F. Dillon Bell and Hon. Dr. Featherston, Edmund Wm. Wheelee, Commissioners from the Government of New Zealand. Hon. Secretary.

Enclosure 2 in No. 11. Mr. E. W. WnEELEE to the Hon. Dr. Featheeston and Hon. P. D. Bell. The Atlantic and Pacific Steam Ship Corporation (Limited), Temporary Offices, 40 and 41, Palmerston Buildings, Hon. Sies, — Bishopsgate Street, E.C., London, 24th February, 1870. I beg to enclose you official tenderf from the above Company to your Government for the conveyance of the New Zealand mails, and also copies of similar tenders we send per Marseilles mail to the Governments of Queensland and New South Wales, and regret the great pressure of business prevented my sending them before. Allow me to call your attention to the wording of the telegram, which does not state that a postal contract has been signed, but simply that a contract has been signed for running steamers between the various places there named, without any mention of subsidy. I have, &c, The Hon. Dr. Featherston and Hon. F. Dillon Bell, Edmtjnd Wm. Wheelee, Commissioners from the Government of New Zealand. Hon. Secretary.

No. 12. Mr. E. W. Wheeler to the Hon. W. Gisborne. The Atlantic and Pacific Steam Ship Corporation, Limited, Temporary Offices, 40 and 41, Palmerston Buildings, Hon. Sic, — Bishopsgate Street, E.C., London, 25th March, 1870. I have the honor to annex duplicate of my last respects of 25th February, containing a tender for the conveyance of the New Zealand mails via San Francisco. The Company has been registered but, as the capital of the Corporation is being privately subscribed, a prospectus has not yet been published. For your information, however, lam permitted to enclose a proof copy, and a list of the names of those gentlemen who are likely to be the directors. By next mail I hope to be able to add other names to the direction of gentlemen of influence and station connected with the Colonies, when full publicity will be given to the undertaking. Under these circumstances I have to request that you will not allow the names mentioned in any way to transpire until the nest advices. Should your Government be inclined to entertain the proposal made by this Corporation, I trust * These tenders, with some modifications, are substantially the same as those made to the various Australian Governments, on our behalf, by Messrs. Cummins and Co., on 3rd December last. f Same as that enclosed in Mr. Wheeler's letter to the Colonial Secretary of New Zealand, of 25th February, 1870.