E.—No. 2

16

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

No. 1. The Hon. J. Eobertson to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sic, — Sydney, 26th September, 1871. 1. I have the honor to inform you that on my colleague the Postmaster-General applying to Mr. H. H. Hall, of this city, for information why no English mail was received by the steamer " Wonga Wonga," which arrived here on the 24th ultimo, he stated that Captain Stewart and his agents at San Francisco applied to the Postmaster there, who informed them that Mr. Vogel had undertaken to forward the Australian mails free of cost. 2. I am aware by the receipt of your letter of the 2nd instant, that your Government have been pleased to offer, free of cost, the carriage of mails to this Colony to the end of the present year; but I have to express the regret of this Government that, in anticipation of such offer and its consideration, a member of your Government should have thought it desirable, if such really be the case, to stay, somewhat prematurely, as it seems, the transmission of mails to this Colony by a service for which Parliament had voted a subsidy, to the inconvenience and dissatisfaction of the public here. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. John Eobertson. i i i—mraii—mini y • mi inn niiniii»ini

No. 2. The Hon. W. Gisboene to the Hon. J. Eobertson. Colonial Secretary's Office, Sir,— Wellington, 19th October, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th September, in which you state, that on your colleague the Postmaster-General applying to Mr. H. H. Hall for information why no English mail was received by the steamer " Wonga Wonga," which arrived at Sydney on the 24th August, Mr. Hall stated that Captain Stewart and his agents at San Francisco applied to the Postmaster there, who informed them that Mr. Vogel had undertaken to forward the Australian mails free of cost; and in which you express regret that a member of the Government of New Zealand should have thought it desirable, if such really were the case, to stay, somewhat prematurely, the transmission of mails to New South Wales by a service subsidized by the Colony, thus causing inconvenience and dissatisfaction to the public. In reply, I have the honor to assure you that you have been misinformed. On Mr. Vogel's arrival in San Francisco, in July last, Mr. Webb stated to him that he had telegraphed to Washington as to whether mails for New South Wales, then to arrive from England, were to be forwarded to the Colony by Mr. Hall's line, or by the line under contract with the New Zealand Government; and that the reply had been that the matter was left in the hands of the Postmaster at San Francisco. Mr. Vogel strongly advised Mr. Webb to use his influence with the Postmaster to send the New South Wales mails by the " Wonga Wonga," upon the ground that it was not certain that there would be connection at Auckland, so that the mails could be forwarded at once to Sydney. Had there been such communication, the mails would have reached Sydney sooner than they would if shipped on board the " Wonga Wonga." Mr. Vogel is not able to speak positively as to the course taken by Mr. Webb; but he is under the impression that that gentleman, without further representation, left the matter to the decision of the Postmaster at San Francisco. I have, &c, The Hon. the Chief Secretary, W. Gisboene, New South Wales. Colonial Secretary.

No. 3. The Hon. J. Eobertson to the Hon. W. Gisboene. Sib,— Sydney, 23rd October, 1871. I have the honor to forward to you the enclosed copy of a letter from the Postmaster-General of San Francisco, California, on the subject of the transmission of our English mails via New Zealand, and not otherwise, unless by the consent of your Government; and to request that this Government may be favoured with an explanation, at your earliest convenience, whether the action of the Postal Department of the United States has been the result of any communication on the subject from the Government of your Colony. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary of New Zealand. John" Eobertson.

CORRESPONDENCE.