E.—No. 3.

6

EURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO

Enclosure 2 in No. 4. Mr. Lingen to the Untiek Secbetaey of State. Sic, — Treasury Chambers, 14th November, 1871. I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit to^you herewith, for the information of the Earl of Kimberley, copy of a report from the Postmaster-General, and of its enclosures, and I am to state that, under the circumstances therein represented, my Lords have authorized the Postmaster-General to give the requisite notice of twenty-four months to the Peninsular and Oriental Company to. terminate their contract for the Australian Mail Service. I am, &c, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office. E. R. W. Lingen".

Enclosure 3 in jSTo. 4. The Postmastee-Geneeal to the Loeds Commissiosvees of the Treasury. Mt Lords, —■ General Post Office, 9th November, 1871. I have the honor to transmit to your Lordships the copy of a letter which I have received from the Colonial Office, dated the 31st ultimo, covering copy of a Despatch from the Governor of Victoria, giving notice of the intention of that Colony to withdraw, in two years and a quarter, from the arrangement under which the Australian Mail Packet Service is now performed. The correspondence of Victoria is very nearly one-half of the whole amount carried by the packet between Point de G-alle and Sydney, the total number of letters inwards and outwards, in 1870, having amounted to 2,090,446, of which 1,012,860 were to or from Victoria. Under these circumstances, the withdrawal of Victoria from the existing arrangement seems to render it necessary to give notice to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company to terminate their contract of the 17th November, 1865, for the Australian Service, particularly as the Government of South Australia gave notice, on the 13th of May last, of its intention also to withdraw, and a similar notice given by the Government of New South Wales, on the 23rd May, 1866, has never been cancelled. By a Despatch from the Governor, dated the 27th of January, 1869, it was simply agreed to be held in abeyance. I have, therefore, to request the authority of your Lordships for giving the requisite notice of twenty-four months to the Peninsular and Oriental Company to terminate their contract for the Australian Mail Service. I have, &c., The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. W. Mojstsell.

No. 5. Memorandum for His Excellency the Goyernor. Ministers respectfully request His Excellency to represent to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies that, if the Home Government should have ■ received an intimation of the desire of the Government of Victoria to have the required notice given on behalf of that Colony to terminate the contract with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company for the Mail Service between Point de Galle and Sydney, this Government desires that notice be given for terminating the contract on behalf of New Zealand. Julius Vogel, General Post Office, "Wellington, 16th October, 1871. Postmaster-General.

No. 6. Memorandum for His Excellency the G-oteenoe. His Excellency the Governor is respectfully requested to forward the accompanying draft for £4,000 to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, being a further payment on account of the contribution due from New Zealand for the Main Line of Packet Service between Great Britain and Australia via Suez. Juxius Vogel, General Post Office, Wellington, 9th December, 1871. Postmaster-General.

No. 7. Mr. Eliott to the Sechetaet, General Post Office, London. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, 15th December, 1871. Referring to former correspondence on the subject of the moiety of the cost of a Steam Mail Service between Australia and New Zealand, contributed by the Imperial Post Office, in order to complete the connection of this Colony with the service via Suez, I have the honor to inform you that, during the year ended 30th June last, a sum of £2,757 16s. 2d. has been paid by this Department by way of bonus and gratuity for this service. I have to request, therefore, that you will be good enough