F.-3

8

I regret to have to inform you that the Department of the Colonies does not accept the proposition in question, and that, in consequence, the correspondence which will be forwarded from France for New Caledonia by the way of San Francisco will be henceforth forwarded under cover postage paid as far as Sydney, conformably with Table C prepared by your department, that is to say, at the rate of 50 c. per 15 grammes for letters, and 1 f. 60 c. per kilogramme for newspapers, printed matter, &c. Nevertheless, with the view of facilitating the work of this correspondence, 1 should be much obliged by your kindly informing me if you see no objection to the mails being divided into two packets, addressed to the Post Office at Noumea (vid San Francisco and Sydney), of which one sealed and paid at the rate of its net weight at the scale of 50 c. per 15 grammes, in which all the letters will be enclosed and the other made up, but not sealed, for the purpose of being verified, in which will be comprised the printed matter, &c., and of which the postage will be checked at your office at the rate of 1 f. 60 c. per kilogramme net weight. I have, &c., The Secretary, General Post Office, London. A. Lebon.

Enclosure 2 in No. 7. Mr. Page to the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 13th January, 1876. In continuation of my letter of the 10th instant, I beg leave to enclose, for your information, copy of a further letter from the French Post Office respecting the manner in which the correspondence from France for New Caledonia, intended for transmission via San Francisco and Sydney, will be forwarded in future. I have, &c, The Postmaster-General, Sydney. Wm. Jno. Page. Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure 2 in No. 7. Mr. Lebon to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir, — Paris, 10th January, 1876. In the letter that you did me the honor to write to me on the sth January instant, you informed me that your department can only submit to the Postmaster-General of New South Wales, in leaving to him the care of solving the question with his colleague of New Zealand the proposition to cause the correspondence from France for New Caledonia, directed by the way of San Francisco, in mails of which the postage should be paid by net weight according to their nature. In waiting while the question is decided, I am giving orders that, for the future, correspondence from France for New Caledonia, directed by San Francisco and Sydney, should be forwarded under cover to your office separately, and post paid as far as Sydney, conformably with the conditions of the British Table C, concerning correspondence the destination of which is New South Wales, directed by the route mentioned above. I have, &c., The Secretary, General Post Office, London. A. Lebon.

No. 8. Mr. Gray to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 11th April, 1876. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the loth ultimo, and to thank you for the copy of further correspondence enclosed, relating to the manner in which it is intended to send mails from France for New Caledonia. It appears to the Postmaster-General that, instead of the present temporary arrangement being continued, New Caledonia should be required to pay a stated subsidy for the use of the Californian Mail Service—as agreed upon at the recent conference by telegraph. I have, &c, W. Gray, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Secretary.

No. 9. The Hon. John Robertson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney, N.S.W., 4th October, 1875. I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a communication from the department of my colleague the Postmaster-General, with a copy of its enclosure, which is a statement of account showing the special expenditure incurred by the Government of New South Wales in consequence of the failure of Messrs. Hall and Forbes to carry on the temporary service by way of San Francisco, the half of which special expenditure (viz. £ 7,349 Is. 5d.) is chargeable to the New Zealand Government, in terms of the 7th clause of the Russell-Samuel Agreement of 23rd October, 1874.