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No. 32. Mr. Heebeet to Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Noemanby, K.C.M.G. My Loed, — Downing Street, 29th January, 1875.. With reference to Sir James Fergusson's Despatch No. 67, of the 11th of September, I have the honor to transmit to you, for your information, a copy of a letter from the Post Office on the subject of the arrangements for the transmission of correspondence to and from Fiji, carried by the mail packets of New South Wales and New Zealand. I have, &c, E. G. W. Hebbeet, (for the Earl of Carnarvon). Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanby, K.C.M.G.

Enclosure in No. 32. Mr. Tillet to Mr. Heebeet. Sic, — General Post Office, London, 26th January, 1875. I have laid before the Postmaster-General your letter of the 16th instant, enclosing copy of a despatch from the Governor of New South Wales, reporting the terms on which the Governments of that colony and New Zealand, conjointly, are prepared to carry, by their mail packets between San Francisco and Sydney, the closed mails exchanged between the United Kingdom and Fiji. I am to request that you will be good enough to state to the Earl of Carnarvon that the arrangement suggested in the despatch of Sir Hercules Eobinson is already being acted upon by this department, the Governor of New Zealand having announced in his despatch of the 11th September last, copy of which was transmitted in your letter of the 28th November, that his Government had come to an agreement with the Government of New South Wales with respect to the postage to be accounted for by this department to the Post Offices of New Zealand and New South Wales on correspondence to and from Fiji carried by the colonial mail packets. According to this arrangement, the sea postage to be accounted for, as a temporary measure, on the correspondence in question will be at the same rates as upon that addressed to or received from Australia, and the amounts thus accruing will be credited in equal proportions to the New Zealand and New South Wales Post Offices in the accounts prepared by the Eeceiver and Accountant-General of this department. I have, &c., E. G. W. Herbert, Esq., Colonial Office. John Tilley.

No. 33. The Eight Hon. the Seceetabt of State for the Colonies to Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Noemanby. BlB,—) Downing Street, 23rd March, 1875. With reference to my Despatch No. 8, of the 29th January last, respecting the Fijian postal accounts, I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a letter from the General Post Office, suggesting that some arrangement may be arrived at between the Colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, and Fiji, in reference to letters prepaid in Fiji by means of local stamps. I have communicated a copy of the correspondence on this subject to Sir Arthur Gordon, and have requested him on his arrival in Fiji to communicate with you and with the Governor of New South Wales on this subject. I have, &c. Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanby, K.C.M.G. Caenabvon.

Enclosure in No. 33. Mr. Tillet to Mr. Hebbeet. Sib,— General Post Office, London, 18th March, 1875. In my letter of the 26th January last, I informed you, by direction of the Postmaster-General, that, in conformity with the course prescribed by the Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand, this department would account to the Post Offices of those colonies, in equal proportions, for the sea rates of postage due upon correspondence to and from Fiji, carried by the colonial packets which are employed in the conveyance of mails between San Francisco and Sydney and Auckland. I am now directed by the Postmaster-General to request that you will state to the Earl of Carnarvon that, while postage sufficient to cover the payments which have thus to be made to New South Wales and New Zealand, and the amount which is payable to the United States Post Office for the territorial transit of the correspondence for Fiji, and the territorial and sea postage of the correspondence from Fiji, is being collected in this country on all the letters sent or received, it is observed that Fijian postage stamps are affixed to many of the letters which arrive from the new colony, so that the senders are probably under the impression that the postage has been prepaid. It seems desirable that some arrangement, in respect of letters prepaid in Fiji, by means of local stamps, should be come to between the three colonies, and the Postmaster-General will be glad if Lord Carnarvon will suggest that course to the colonial authorities. I have, &c, E. G. W. Herbert, Esq., Colonial Office. John Tilley,