SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE
19
E.—No. 4.
No. 32. The Hon. J. Vogel to the Chief Seceetaet, Victoria. Sic, — General Government Offices, Auckland, Ist October, 1870. I have the honor, on behalf of the Colonial Secretary, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth September, enclosing a bank draft for £85 16s. 6d., and stating that you rely upon the New Zealand Government causing to be duly forwarded all mails which, at the date of your letter, were in course of transit to or from Alctoria by the San Francisco route. In reply, I have the honor to inform you that the amount received will be placed to the credit of the Contractor. I am happy to assure you that you may rely upon proper care being taken of all mails already in transit to or from Victoria by the San Francisco route, and upon their being duly forwarded to their destination. I very much regret that you are unable to make the small contribution which has been asked from you to the San Francisco Service. AVhilst Ido not at all question the value of the Suez Alail Service, I am under the impression that you will find the service via San Francisco, even as an alternative route, irrespective of the advantages of communication with the United States and Canada, one well worth to the Colony of Alctoria the exceedingly small contribution asked from it, viz. £6,000 a year. Should you at any time have urgent need for the transmission of a special despatch to England via San Francisco, if you will send it under cover to the Colonial Secretary at AVellington, or the Agent of the General Government in Auckland, we will take care that it is duly forwarded. Attention will be paid to your request that in future correspondence for your Colony may be addressed to the Chief Secretary, Victoria. I have, Ac, The Hon. the Chief Secretary, Victoria. Julius Vogel.
No. 33. The Hon. AY. Gisboene to the Hon. the Chief Secbetaet, Victoria. Sic, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 4th October, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 2,377, of the Bth ultimo, and to state that all Victorian mails now in course of transit by the Sau Francisco route will be duly forwarded on to Melbourne on their arrival in New Zealand. I will attend to your request that letters to your Government shall be addressed to the Chief Secretary, at Alelbourne. I have to thank you for the draft, amounting to the sum of £85 16s. 6d., which was duly received with your letter. I have, Ac, The Hon. the Chief Secretary, Victoria. W. Gisboene.
No. 34. Messrs. Collie, Stewaet, and Co., to the Hon. J. Vogel. Sic,— San Francisco, 12th September, 1870. In consequence of assurance from the United States that a subsidy of three hundred thousand dollars will be granted, we contemplate establishing a Une of steam ships to New Zealand or Australia. The agent of the line, Air. George Collie, has been instructed by this mail to contract with your Government for a regular monthly service to Auckland or Wellington from this port, providing your Government will guarantee a subsidy of £30,000 annually for ten years: the Contractor performing the service with ships capable of steaming 320 miles per day, and over 2,000 tons register, and the contract time to be the same as stipulated by the United States, say 250 miles per day, —the Contractor providing ample security for the faithful performance of the contract. We have empowered Mr. AVilliam Gray to open Air. Collie's letters enclosed to him, and act according to instructions therein, in the absence of Air. Collie. The " Nevada " will go into dock next week, be coaled, and made ready for sea, so that the line can be opened at once. Messrs. Webb and Co. recently started a line of steamers from New York to Europe, and the " Guiding Star," the pioneer ship, sailed on the 22nd of August. AYe are in position to arrange for the forwarding of the Colonial mails immediately upon the arrival of the steamer, and may add that specie will be carried through to Europe at the same rate as is at present charged by the Peninsular and Oriental Co., and the rate of passage will not exceed £80. AYe have, Ac, Collie, Stewaet, and Co., The Hon. J. Vogel, Postmaster-General, N.Z. Agents for W. H. Webb and Co.
No. 35. Memoeandum by the Hon. J. A 7 ogel for His Excellency the Goveenoe. The Postmaster-General respectfully directs His Excellency's attention to the Parliamentary Papers relative to the San Francisco Mail Service, copies of which he has already received. His Excellency will see from those papers, that it is proposed by the Government to enter into a Convention with the United States for the carriage of mails between the two countries. A copy of the proposed Convention is sent herewith. The Postmaster-General believes that a not dissimilar Convention has already been entered into between the United States and the Colony of Hong Kong.