P.—3c

1875. NEW ZEALAND.

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE, (FURTHER PAPERS RESPECTING).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. Mr. Eussell to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey, Wellington. Sic, — London, 20th August, 1875. I have the honor to enclose copy of notice given to the Pacific Mail Company relative to the commencement ofthe new service, also a copy of letter addressed by Sir Daniel Cooper and myself, to the Secretary of the General Post Office here, enclosing contract and time table ; I also enclose some spare copies of the table. The time table has been compiled with great care, and with the assistance of the authorities of tho General Post Office. From our letter to Mr. Page, you will observe that we are endeavouring to secure the transit of our mails from New York to this country by certain steamers leaving New York on Wednesday and Saturday. The boats referred to make their voyages across the Atlantic with great speed, and, unless under very exceptional circumstances, the dates of their arrival at Queenstown may very well be relied upon, while the steamships of other lines leaving New York on other days of the week are not so remarkable for their speed and regularity. I have taken a great deal of trouble with this question, and I am satisfied, if the American postal authorities will comply with our request, that the delivery of our mails in future will be more reliable than it has been. You will also see that I have altered the date of closing the mail in London from the Tuesday to the Thursday. Hitherto the mail has been sent by a slow boat leaving Queenstown for Boston on the Wednesday; in future it will be despatched by the Inman boats from Queenstown on the Friday; and from this alteration I anticipate the saving of at least one day in the voyage to New York. I have, Ac, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Thomas Bussell.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1. Sic, — London, August 16, 1875. We have the honor to enclose a copy of the contract we have made, on behalf of our respective Governments, with the Pacific Mail Company of New York, for the conveyance of I leiMajesty's mails between New South "Wales, New Zealand, and San Francisco, and vice versa. You will observe that the sum agreed to be paid annually (£89,950) is the largest amount the colonies have, up to the present time, agreed to pay for this service. This fact, the large sums they have already spent, and their determined perseverance (on the part 6f New Zealand since 1870, and of New South Wales and New Zealand conjointly since 1873), affords the strongest evidence of the deep interest the two colonies take in this service, aud of their desire to make it efficient. The ships to be employed upon the Pacific part of the route will be much better and faster than those hitherto used, and it is hoped they will keep their time with tolerable certainty; but it is apparent to us that unless we can connect at New York with the fast boats which leave that city on the Saturday or the Wednesday, the arrivals of the mail here must be very uncertain and irregular, and the usefulness of the service be much impaired. We enclose the time table for your .approval. Under it, the Homeward mail will be due in San Francisco on the Thursday, and, if to time, should leave San Francisco by the Friday morning express, and reach New York on the following Fridiiy morning, about thirty hours before the departure of the Saturday boat (two in the afternoon of Saturday we believe to be the ordinary hour of sailing). This margin of thirty hours we have allowed to meet the Contingency of the non-arrival of the boat at San Francisco on the Thursday, and to cover any delay that may occur on the railway between San Francisco and New York. Our desire is that the mail should be despatched by one of the fast boats leaving New York on Saturday, but that if .it any time the mail should not arrive in time for the Saturday boat, then it should be held over for the Cunard boat on the following Wednesday; that, in fact, the Homeward mail should not be sent by any vessels except