I—E. 3.

_P.—3.

1880. NEW ZEALAND.

SUEZ MAIL SERVICE (PAPERS RELATING TO).

[In continuation of Papers presented on 6th July, 1876.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Seceetaey of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Goyeenob. Sie,- — Downing Street, 4th June, 1879. With reference to my circular despatch of the 17th of May, I have the honor to transmit to you, for the information of your Government, copy of the draft* of a contract which is about to be entered into between the Government of Victoria and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, for a fortnightly mail service between Ceylon and Melbourne. Although Her Majesty's Government are not parties to the contract, I may observe that the provision which it makes for the conveyance of the mails of the Colonies of Western Australia and South Australia appears to be adequate, and to justify the liberal terms conceded by Her Majesty's Government in regard to the postage receipts. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand. M. E. Hicks Beach.

No. 2. The Deputy Postmastee-Geneeal, Melbourne, to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Post Office and Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Sie,— Melbourne, 15th August, 1879. I have tho honor, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to transmit herewith for your acceptance a copy of a mail contract entered into by this Government with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company for the conveyance of mails between Melbourne and Point de Galle or Colombo during the period from Ist February, 1880, to 31st January, 1888. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, F. W. Jackson, Wellington, New Zealand. Deputy Postmaster-General.

Enclosure in No. 2. Aeticles of Agreement made this second day of August, one thousand eight hundred and seventynine, between the Honorable James Brown Patterson, as Her Majesty the Queen's PostmasterGeneral of the Colony of Victoria, and for and on behalf of Her Majesty's Government of the said Colony of Victoria, of the one part, and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, hereinafter called " the Company," of the other part. Witness that the Company for themselves and their successors hereby covenant with the said Post-master-General and his successors, Her Majesty's Postmasters-General for the Colony of Victoria for the time being; and the said Postmaster-General, for and on behalf of Her Majesty's Government of the said colony, doth hereby covenant with the Company, in manner following (that is to say) :—■ 1. That the Company will at all times during the continuance of this agreement, or so long as the whole or any part of the services hereby agreed to be performed ought to he performed in pursuance hereof, provide, keep seaworthy and in complete repair and readiness for the purpose of conveying, as hereinafter provided, all Her Majesty's mails (in which term "mails," used throughout this agreement, all boxes, bags, or packets of letters, newspapers, books, or printed papers, and all other articles transmissible by the post, without regard either to the place to which they may be addressed or to that in which they may have originated, and all empty bags, empty boxes, and other stores and articles used or to be used in carrying on the Post-Oflice service which shall be sent by or to or from the Post Office,

* Not published. Eor copy of signed contract see Enclosure in No. 2.