3

F.-4.

points, so as to change the hour of arrival at San Francisco from 6.30 p.m. to noon. Under these circumstances a departure from San Francisco on Saturday would have certainly effected a saving of two days ; but this saving would have been neutralized by a corresponding alteration in the day of despatch from London. The Postmaster-General was sanguine of your overcoming the difficulties which had attended your previous attempts to effect the Saturday despatch, but has no wish to force upon you any arrangements which you find impracticable, or injurious to your passenger traffic. At the same time, it is a matter for regret that a project emanating from you as representatives of the contractors, and entered on with such zeal and confidence, should have been allowed to fall through. I may state in conclusion that, in deference to your wishes, the old time-table has been reverted to as affecting the arrangements for coastal distribution of New Zealand mails. I have, &c, Messrs. Williams, Dimond, and Co., General Agents, W Geay, Pacific Mail Steamship Company, San Francisco. Secretary.

No. 5. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeai. Sib, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., Bth June, 1880. Herewith I have the honor to transmit parcel containing one part of the San Francisco mail contract executed by the contractors, and twenty-five prints thereof; and one part of the bond executed by the contractors and their sureties, and six prints thereof, with a covering letter from Messrs. J Mackrell and Co. to yourself, reporting that they have obtained the completion of the new mail contract, and the bond of the members of the firm of Messrs. John Elder and Co. for the due performance of it. Messrs. Mackrell and Co. have also furnished me with one part of the contract executed by the contractors, and six prints thereof; and one part of the bond executed by the contractors and their sureties, and three prints thereof; and these I retain at this office. Messrs. Mackrell and Co. also inform me that they have sent to the Agent-General for New South Wales, to be forwarded to the Postmaster-General for that colony, two parts of the contract for execution by yourself and him, according to the instructions which accompany the same, a copy of which I attach hereto. I have, &c, Julius Voqel, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure 1 in No. 5 Messrs. Mackbeh and Co. to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. 21, Cannon Street, London, E.C., 7th June, 1880. Sic, — New Mail Contract. We have the satisfaction of informing you that at last we have obtained the completion of the new mail contract, and the bond of the members of the firm of Messrs. John Elder and Co. for the due performance of it; and herewith we forward for your use one part of the contract executed by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, with twenty-five prints thereof; and one part of the bond executed by the contractors, and by the members of the firm of Messrs. John Elder and Co. as sureties, together with six prints thereof. We have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. John Mackbell and Co.

Enclosure 2 in No. 5. Messrs. Mackeell and Co. to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney 21, Cannon Street, London, E.C., 7th June, 1880. Sic, — New Mail Contract. The new contract having now been executed by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and the bond having been executed by their sureties, we forward herewith, for execution by you and by the Postmaster- General of New Zealand, two parts of the contract, printed on parchment. You will observe that the contract bears date the 29th November, 1878, being the date at which it was delivered to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company for execution, at which time the Hon. J Fitzgerald Burns was Postmaster-General of New South Wales, and the Hon. J Temple Fisher was the Postmaster-General of New Zealand. If these gentlemen, or either of them, do not now hold office, the contract should be executed by the present Postmasters-General of the colonies respectively; but in that case a memorandum should be written at the foot of the prints, according to the forms sent herewith, and the Postmasters-General should then duly execute the contracts, by signing and sealing the same. You will see that one memorandum applies to the case of one of the PostmastersGeneral being the same, and not the other, and the other memorandum applies to the case of neither of the Postmasters-General being the same. Having regard to the time which must necessarily elapse before the documents reach the colony, and our inability to determine which memorandum should then be made use of, we have not had a memorandum written at the foot of the engrossments. When the two parts have been executed by you, we shall be obliged if you will forward the same to the Postmaster-General for New Zealand for execution by him, together with the accompanying letter from us. We have, &c, The Postmaster-General for New South Wales. John Mackkeli, and Co,