9

F.—3b

No. 18. Mr. Gray to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 12th June, 1876. I have been directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd March last, in which you inform me that, on the understanding arrived at, at the recent conference by telegraph between Sir Julius Vogel and the Colonial Secretary and the Postmaster-General of your colony, relative to the outstanding accounts between the two Governments, you had to inform me that the account of this colony's claim, as submitted by Sir Julius Vogel, had been examined and found correct, and to request that the balance of .€5,620 6s. 5d., shown to be due by this colony, be remitted as early as convenient. 2. In compliance with your request, I have been directed to forward you the accompanying draft for £5,507 16s. 5d., being the actual sum this colony is indebted your department, after deducting ,£ll2 10s., half the amount this colony agreed to pay the San Francisco Mail Contractors for the carriage of the inward San Francisco Mail brought to Auckland in March last by the s.s. " City of Melbourne," from that port to Port Chalmers. 3. I have to enclose extract from a telegram forwarded on the 30th March last by Sir Julius Vogel to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South Wales, referring to this payment, and in doing so would state that it has been considered desirable to make the deduction in question in order that these special accounts should be finally closed. I venture to express the hope that this action may meet with the approval of your department. 4. I have also to express regret for not having answered your letter at a much earlier period. I have, &c, W. Gray, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney, Secretary. Extract Referred to. Extract from Telegram of 30th March, 1876, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Sydney. * * * * * * * " * Last month Contractors carried the " City of Melbourne's" mails from Auckland to Port Chalmers, for which we are willing to pay £225, the price Government paid local Company, of which you will have to pay half. ******** Julius Vogel.

F.-3. Ko. 12. * I

P.—3. Wo. 185.

No. 19. Messrs. Gilchrist, Watt, and Co., Sydney, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Sydney, sth June, 1876. We have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 17th May, informing us ■ that it is necessary for your department to have a certified copy of the power of attorney we hold from the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and to state that we will at once comply with your request. We have, &c., Gilchrist, Watt, and Co. General Agents for the Contractors, San Francisco Mail Service. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington.

No. 20. Messrs. Gilchrist, Watt ; and Co., Sydney, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir,— Sydney, 29th May, 1876. We have the honor, on hehalf of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, to make application to you that the route adopted under the contract of 23rd July, 1875, be changed to a direct route from Sydney to Bay of Islands, Honolulu, San Francisco, and vice versa; and, in making the application, we beg respectfully to bring under your notice the following points in favour of the proposed change, which the experience of working the service during the past six months has fully demonstrated :— 1. The Contractors, in complying with their agreement that vessels of " not less gross registered tonnage than 2,500 tons each '•' should be employed, have constructed and placed in the service the " City of San Francisco," " City of New York," " City of Sydney," « Australia," and " Zealandia," steamships unequalled in power, strength, and magnificence of accommodation by any ever previously seen in the colonies. 2—F. 3b.