E.—4,

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Enclosure in No. 65. The Genebal Post Office to the Colonial Office. Sic, — General Post Office, London, 28th December, 1877. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to transmit to you, to be laid before the Earl of Carnarvon, the enclosed copy of a letter which has this day been received from the Agents-General for New Zealand and New South Wales, announcing an alteration in the arrangements for despatching the mails for New South Wales and New Zealand by the route of San Francisco, whereby the next mall must be made up and forwarded from London on the evening of Thursday, the 3rd January, instead of on the 10th, as previously announced, and all subsequent mails in 1878 will be despatched a week in advance of the dates already advertised. Lord John Manners has taken proper measures for announcing this change to the public ; but he fears that much inconvenience will be caused by its having been made so suddenly, and at a period of the year when all the official publications showing the colonial mail arrangements for 1878 had just been circulated both in this country and abroad. The change is the more inconvenient as it involves a departure a week in advance of the usual time. It will be impossible to get the amended notices into the hands of the public generally before the despatch of the mail of the 3rd January, and many letters will no doubt be posted too late for that mail. Lord Carnarvon will probably think it advisable to address a communication to the Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand on the subject, pointing out the inconvenience likely to result from the sudden change made in the colonial mail arrangements. I have, &c, E. G. W. Herbert, Esq. Wm. Jas. Page,

No. 66. The Hon. the Peemiee to His Excellency the Goyeenoe. Memorandum for His Excellency . Mintstees have the honor to return to His Excellency the despatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies respecting the London dates of departure of mails forwarded via San Francisco. Ministers regret any inconvenience that may have been caused by a recent change in those dates. The change was considered by the contracting Governments to be of importance in the interests of the Service, and it was made known, in London without avoidable delay. Copy of a memorandum on the subject by the Secretary to the Post Office is respectfully submitted for His Excellency's information. Wellington, 18th March, 1878. G. Geey.

Enclosure in No. 66. Memoeandum by Mr. Geat to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal. The delay in notifying the particulars of the San Francisco Service new time-table was unavoidable, and the Agents-General explained this to the London Post Office. Before the time-table could be officially published in London the consent of the Contractors' sureties to the alterations had to be procured. One of these gentlemen being abroad at the time his signature was required precluded the AgentsGeneral from giving more timely notice to the London Post Office. Everything was done to prevent public inconvenience, and the altered time-table is now in full operation. General Post Office, Wellington, 12th March, 1878. W. Gbay.

No. 67. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 3rd January, 1878. In continuation of my letter of the 21st December, concerning proposed new arrangement of San Francisco Mail Service, I have the honor to inform you that on the following day I received a letter from Messrs. John Mackrell and Co., of which I enclose a copy, informing me that they had received an intimation from Messrs. John Elder and Co. that they were" willing to assent to the proposed arrangement with the Pacific Company, and also that Mr. Macgregor was willing to assent, but that they had not yet received a reply from the Pacific Company. The Agent-General for New South Wales concurred with me in Messrs. Mackrell's suggestion, that the document prepared for the sureties' signature should be sent to them without waiting for the answer of the Pacific Company. Messrs. Mackrell have since received an intimation from Messrs. Elder that one of the firm, being abroad, cannot at present sign the deed. They thereupon asked that the other members of the firm, and Mr. Macgregor, should sign at once. I have not yet been informed that the signatures have been obtained. On the 24th December I received the telegram of which I enclose copy from the Hon. the Chief Secretary at Sydney, conveying the assent of the two Governments to the suggestion contained in the joint telegram despatched by Mr. Forsterand myself on thel7th, that Tuesday should be fixed as the day of arrival in London. Without the deed being actually signed Messrs. Mackrell advised us that we ran great risk in altering the times. We delayed giving notice to the Post Office until the