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No. 33. Mr. Geat to Mr. Ceeiohton Sib,-— Post Office and Telegraph Department, Wellington, 18th May, 1881. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th ultimo, relative to the recent late arrival of the " City of New York" at San Francisco, owing to the breaking of a crank-pin, and to the promptitude displayed by the United States Government in taking measures to obviate as much as possible the effects of any accident supposed to have befallen the steamer. The department is glad to know that so great an interest is taken by the United States Government in the Pacific services, as is evidenced by those measures. 2. I have to thank you personally for the action you took to have despatch and sortment of the return mails duly carried out, under the supposition that the " City of New York" would not arrive in time to leave with them. I have, &c, W Geat, E. J Creighton, Esq., San Francisco. Secretary

No. 34. Mr. Geat to Messrs. Williams, Dimond, and Co. Gentlemen, — Post Office and Telegraph Department, Wellington, 20th May, 1881. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th ultimo, communicating particulars of the accident which occurred to the machinery of the E.M.S. " City of New York" on her voyage from Auckland to San Francisco, and of the success of the efforts to replace the broken crank-pin, which enabled the steamer to reach your port without further mishap. 2. I am to inform you that your application on behalf of the contractors for consideration in the matter of the infliction of the penalty for late arrival has been forwarded to the Postmaster-General of New South Wales, and the joint decision of the two Governments will be communicated to you by next mail. I have, &c, Messrs. Williams, Dimond, and Co., W Gbat, General Agents, Pacific Mail Company, San Francisco. Secretary

No. 35. The Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney, to the Hon. the Postmastee-Genekal, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 21st May, 1881. Agents ask that penalties incurred by late delivery of mails at San Francisco by s.s. " City of New York "be remitted. lam inclined to think they should be enforced. What do you propose doing ? The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Postmasteb-Geneeal.

No. 36. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-Geneiul, Sydney (Telegram.) Wellington, 25th May, 1881. I think the penalties should be enforced. Postmastee-Geneeal. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney

No. 37 Mr. Geay to Messrs. Williams, Dimond, and Co. Gentlemen, —■ Post Office and Telegraph Department, Wellington, 26th May, 1881. In continuation of my letter of the 20th instant, in reply to yours of the 7th ultimo, in which you ask, on behalf of the contractors, for consideration on account of the delayed arrival on the 3rd April at San Francisco of the R.M.S. " City of New York," owing to the breaking of a crank-pin, I beg now to inform you that, the Postmaster-General of New South Wales having been consulted, it has been decided to inflict the full penalty due for the delay in question. I have, &c, Messrs. Williams, Dimond, and Co., W Gray, General Agents, Pacific Mail Steamship Company, San Francisco. Secretary

No. 38. Messrs. G-ilcheist, Watt, and Co. to the Hon. the Postmasteb-General. Sib,— Sydney, 18th May, 1881. With reference to the delay in the delivery at San Francisco of mails which left Auckland by s.s. " City of New York " on the Ist March last, we beg to state that by the arrival of the steamer here we are placed in possession of the details of the accident to which the delay in question was solely attributable. It appears that the steamer made a good passage hence to Auckland, and on leavirfg there experienced fine weather, and everything went on well as usual until the sth March, when the