E.—No. 4.

16

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

£10,000, as the contribution of New South AVales towards the maintenance of the Mail Service via California, from the date of its commencement. The Estimates referred to will shortly be submitted, and there is little doubt that Parliament will sanction the payment of the contribution mentioned therein. 3. It will of course be understood that the payment of the amount in question by New South Wales shall be conditional on the observance of the provisional agreement dated the 6th January last. 4. Under the circumstances just explained, this Colony will, in anticipation of your approval, continue to forward mails by the steamers leaving Sydney every month. 5. I may add that the Government of New Zealand will no doubt receive a similar communication to this one, by the out-going mail, from the Hon. the Colonial Secretary of this Colony. I have, Ac, Dan. Egan, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, AVellington, N.Z. Postmaster-General.

No. 25. The Hon. J. A r OGEL to the Hon. the Postmasteb-Geneeal, New South Wales. Sic, — Auckland, 22nd September, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 29th August, 1870, containing information as to the course proposed to be adopted by your Government with reference to the Californian Mail Service. A letter of similar tenor and even date was received from the Hon. the Colonial Secretary of New South AVales, and to that gentleman I have addressed a reply at length, to which, if you will allow me, I will refer you, and copy of which I attach hereto. I trust you will have no difficulty in at once agreeing to contribute on the terms stated in my letter to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. I confess that I do not see how we can arrange to carry your mails upon any other terms. I hope that we shall be shortly able to make the Californian Service a fully satisfactory one —a service such as, having regard to the advantages which it will secure to you, will be undeniably economical. I have, Ac, The Hon. tho Postmaster-General, Sydney, N.S.AV. Julius Vogel.

No. 26. The Hon. J. A togel to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, Sydney. General Government Offices, Sin,— Auckland, N.Z., 13th October, 1870. I have not received an answer to my letter of the 17th September, 1870, respecting the contribution to be made by your Government towards the cost of the Californian Mail Service. As, however, mails from New South Wales were despatched by this month's steamer, I am happy to believe that it is the intention of your Government to make regular payments on behalf of the service, in terms of my letter of the 17th September. I shall be glad, therefore, if your Government will cause to bo paid into the Oriental Bank, Sydney, to the credit of the New Zealand Government, the sum of £5,000, being the amount due on account of the six monthly services which will be completed on the return of the " City of Melbourne," b} r which steamer this letter will be forwarded; and thereafter I shall be obliged by your paying monthly, to the Oriental Banking Company, on tho return of each steamer from Honolulu, the onetwelfth part of £10,000. I have, Ac, Julius A togel, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Sydney, N.S.W. Postmaster-General.

No. 27. Mr. H. H. Hall to the Hon. J. Vogel. Sic,— - U.S. Consulate, Grafton Wharf, Sydney, 31st August, 1870. I have the honor to inform you that, in terms of the twenty-second clause of the Memorandum of Agreement entered into with your Government for the conveyance of mails between Sydney and San Francisco, lam prepared to continue said service for a further term of four years; but would solicit the extension of the time to thirty-two days between Sydney and San Francisco, as I find it impossible to do it in less time. This is a 10-knot service for the distance run. 1 have, Ac, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, N.Z. ;: H. H. Hall, U.S.C.

No. 28. The Hon. J. A 7ogel to Mr. H. H. Hall. Sic, — Wellington, 17th September, 1870. In reply to your letter of the 31st August, in which you state that you are prepared to continue the Californian Mail Service for a further term of four years, and ask for a modification in