F.—3

10

No. 11. The Hon. C. C. Bowen to the Colonial Secretary, Sydney. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 30th December, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of date December 18th instant. I have to apologize for the delay which has occurred in replying to your letter of the 4th October, and in adjusting the claim of your Government for special expenditure incurred in consequence of the failure of Messrs. Hall and Forbes to carry on the temporary mail service. I have forwarded to Sir Julius Vogel, at Melbourne, copy of the correspondence on this subject, and also the particulars of a claim made by the New Zealand Post Office Department for expenditure in this colony, amounting to £3,457 10s., in order that*upon his visit to Sydney there may be a complete adjustment of accounts for that service. I had already (on the 24th instant) replied to your letter of the 24th ultimo. I have, &c, C. C. Bowen, (in the absence of the Colonial Secretary). The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South Wales.

Vide No. 53,

No. 12. Mr. Lambton to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, Sydney, 2nd March, 1876. Referring to the understanding arrived at in the recent conference between Sir Julius Vogel and the Colonial Secretary and Postmaster-General of this colony relative to the outstanding accounts between the two Governments, I am directed to inform you that the account of the New Zealand claim, which has now been received from Sir Julius Vogel, has been examined and found correct. lam accordingly to request that the balance agreed upon as due to New South Wales, viz. £5,620 6s. 5d., subject, as requested, to such further consideration as Mr. Russell may desire, may be forwarded to me as early as convenient. I attach a copy of the telegrams which have passed upon this subject. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. S. H. Lambton.

Not published.

No. 13. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram) Wellington, 13th October, 1875. Mr. Russell has sanctioned Contractors Frisco Service employing " Mikado " and " Vasco de Gama" for November and December from colonies to Frisco. We approve. Mr. Russell suggests that the mails to be carried by these steamers should close in colonies a day earlier than the dates fixed by time table, in order that the mails reach New York in time for fast steamers. Our mails will close day earlier, as suggested; and I would suggest that you adopt same course. As time is short, please reply by telegram. William H. Reynolds.

No. 14. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, New South Wales. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th October, 1875. I have the honor to forward you copy of a letter received to-day by my colleague the Colonial Secretary from Mr. Thomas Russell, from which you will observe that permission has been given the San Francisco mail contractors, to use the steamships " Mikado" and " Vasco de Gama " in initiating the new service from Sydney and from Port Chalmers. It having been anticipated that the contractors would require some such concession as that granted by Mr. Russell, I have much pleasure in stating that the Government of this colony readily approves of the action taken by Mr. Russell. No doubt your department has received a similar notification from Sir Daniel Cooper, aud I shall be glad to learn that the temporary employment of the " Mikado " and the " Vasco de Gama " is approved of by your Government. This department has agreed to adopt the suggestion made by Mr. Russell that the mails to be despatched from this colony in November and December next should close a day earlier than the date fixed by the time table; and I would suggest that the same course be pursued with regard to the mails from your colony, as the success of the new service largely depends upon the homeward mails reaching New York in time for despatch by the fast steamers which leave for Liverpool every Saturday. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, N.S.W. William H. Reynolds.

P.—3c, 1875 No. 3.