F.—3.

8

Enclosure in No. 12. Memorandum for the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. The Postmaster-General has had under consideration the letter from the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, enclosing an " interim time-table in connection with the mail service between Sydney and San Francisco." In the absence of a copy of the contract which has been entered into in London, it is impossible to decide what discretion has been left to the two Governments in the matter; but it appears to the Postmaster-General that, unless it is required by the contract that the Postmasters-General of New South Wales and New Zealand should fix the times for the intermediate ports, Kandavau and Honolulu, it might fairly be a question whether those times should not be left to the discretion of the contractors; the two Governments merely requiring that dates fixed by them shall be kept as regards New South Wales, New Zealand, and California, respectively; and that care shall be taken that the steamer at Kandavau shall await the connecting boat from New South Wales or New Zealand, as the case may be. The Postmaster-General advises the Colonial Secretary to ask the Government of New South Wales to deal with the matter for the next two or three months, but to defer any public announcement until after the contract has been received from England, and the two Governments have had an opportunity of making themselves acquainted with its provisions. The Postmaster-General thinks it will be hazardous to announce days of arrival at and departure from New York, and days of arrival at Liverpool. He is under the impression that the time allowed in the interim table for the passage across the Atlantic (eleven days) is less than that allowed by the English and American Post Offices. Again, in the interim table, the same number of days is allowed each way, though the average time required for the westerly passage is greater than that occupied in the easterly one ; and no allowance is made for the fact that during the winter season long passages cannot be avoided. The time-table for the Suez Service, as published by the Victorian Post Office—and, it is believed, by the New South Wales Post Office also —does not give dates for intermediate ports, but is confined to Melbourne and Sydney, with the arrivals in and departures from London, via Brindisi and via Southampton. The Postmaster-General suggests that it would be well in the present case to fix the dates of leaving Sydney, connecting at Kandavau, and arrival at San Francisco, but announcing also the due date in London, the return service being dealt with in a similar manner. The interim table allows only two or three hours at San Francisco, and involves regularly leaving New York on the day of arrival, an arrangement which it would frequently be impossible to carry out. Dunedin, 10th January, 1874. Julius Vogkl.

No. 13. Mr. Lambton to the Seceetaet, General Post Office, "Wellington. Sic, — General Post Office, Sydney, 17th December, 1873. With reference to the arrangements under which mails from the other colonies may be transmitted via Sydney and San Francisco, I am directed to forward, for your information, the accompanying copy of a letter and its enclosures, addressed by this department on the sth instant to the Postal authorities at Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Hobart Town, respectively. With regard to the time-table, I am to state that it has been approved, subject to modification, if found necessary, after communication with the Government of New Zealand. I have, &c, S. H. Lambton, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand. Secretary.

Enclosure in No. 13. Mr. Lambton to the Postmastee-Geneeal, Brisbane. Sib, — General Post Office, Sydney, sth December, 1873. I am directed to enclose, for your information, copies of letters forwarded on the Ist instant from this department to the General Post Office, London, relative to the transmission of mails by way of San Francisco. The Government of this colony -has proposed to the Governments of the other Australasian Colonies and New Zealand, that, in lieu of the non-contracting colonies accounting for the actual postage at the stipulated rates, they shall account to New Soutli Wales and New Zealand by weight, as follows, —on all correspondence contained in mails between New Zealand and San Francisco :— Letters ... ... ... ... ... ... Is. 7d. per oz. Newspapers ... ... ... ... ... ... 6d. per lb. Packets ... ... ... ... ... ... Is. 6d. per lb. I am also directed to forward, for your information and guidance in despatching mails by this route, copies of a letter and table of rates obtained by Mr. Samuel from the General Post Office, London, from which you will learn particulars of the rates to be accounted for to London and the United States, on correspondence forwarded by this route to places other than the United Kingdom. I am further directed to forward herewith some copies of a temporary time-table for the new service, and of a notice published by this department respecting such services. I have, &c, S. H. Lambton1, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Brisbane. Secretary. [Similar letters addressed to the Postmasters-General, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Hobart Town.]