Page image

17

P.—4

No. 32. Mr. Page to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 4th December, 1877. The Postmaster-General has concluded arrangements under which he is able to announce that the monthly mails for Australia and New Zealand intended to be forwarded via San Francisco will henceforth be despatched from London uniformly on the evening of Thursday, and from Queenstown on the following day. The mails will be conveyed in each case by vessels of the Inman or White Star lines. The following table shows the days on which the Australian and New Zealand mails will be despatched during the ensuing year : — Thursday, 10th January, 1878. Thursday, 25th July, 1878. 7th February, 1878. „ 22nd August, 1878. 7th March, 1878. „ 19th September, 1878. „ 4th April, 1878. „ 17th October, 1878. 2nd May, 1878. „ 14th November, 1878. 30th May, 1878. „ 12th December, 1878. „ 27th June, 1878. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Wm. Jas. Page.

No. 33. Mr. Pagke to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 29th December, 1877. With reference to my letter of the 4th instant, I beg leave to inform you that notice has just been received that the sailing of the colonial mail packets from San Francisco for New Zealand and New South Wales is appointed to take place one week earlier than previously arranged. Consequently, the despatch of the mails from London for Australia and New Zealand via San Francisco during the year 1878 will take place on Thursday, 3rd January, and every fourth Thursday thereafter, as follows : — Thursday, 3rd January, 1878. Thursday, 18th July, 1878. „ 31st January, 1878. „ 15th August, 1878. „ 28th February, 1878. „ 12th September, 1878. „ 28th March, 1878. „ 10th October, 1878. „ 25ih April, 1878. „ 7th November, 1878. „ 23rd May, 1878. „ sth December, 1878. „ 20th June, 1878. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Wm. Jas. Page.

No. 34. Mr. Gray to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 30th March, 1878. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 29th December last, intimating the dates on which the mails for Australia and New Zealand via San Francisco will close at your office during the present year, the dates of despatch being one week earlier in each instance than stated in your former letter of the 4th of December, the change being consequent on the amended time-table for the departure of the mail steamers from San Francisco, brought into force on the Ist of January last. I have, &c, W. Gray, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. Secretary.

No. 35. The A gent-General to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sin, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 10th December, 1877. I have the honor to transmit herewith, for your information, copy of a circular letter I have received from the London Post Office, advising me of arrangements which have been made for the conveyance of mails to and from New York after the Ist of January next. I have, &c, JtTLIT/S VOGEL, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 35. Mr. Page to the Ageht- General. SiHj— General Post Office, London, Ist December, 1877. 1 am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that an arrangement has been made with the owners of the Cunard, Inman, and White Star lines of steam vessels for the conveyance of 3— F, 4