P.—2b

1883. NEW ZEALAND.

DIRECT STEAM SERVICE WITH GREAT BRITAIN (FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO). [In Continuation of Papers presented on 14th June, 1883.]

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

No. 1. The Secretary, New Zealand Shipping Company, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. The New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), Sir, — Christchurch, 4th June, 1883. I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of the 18th ultimo,* intimating that the Government would be pleased to receive an offer from this company for a contract for a direct steam service between the United Kingdom and this colony, but that the consideration of such offer will have to be delayed until the question of the service has been again submitted to Parliament. In reply, I am directed to ask if you will be kind enough to afford this company any information as to the probable number of immigrants and the quantity of cargo the Government contemplate bringing out under the proposed contract? I have, &c, Isaac Gibbs, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Secretary.

No. 2. The Secretary, General Post Office, to the Secretary, New Zealand Shipping Company. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th June, 1883. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, addressed to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, in further reference to the proposed direct steam service between the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In reply to your question as to the probable number of immigrants and quantity of cargo likely to be brought into the country by the Government, I am to state that five thousand immigrants and fourteen thousand tons of cargo would be about the number and amount annually. Of this estimate, however, the Government is unable to give any guarantee. I have, &c, The Secretary, New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), W. Gray, Christchurch. Secretary.

No. 3. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., Ist May, 1883. I am sorry to say that no tenders were received by me yesterday for the direct steam service. I sent you a cablegram to that effect last night, and this morning I have received your telegram saying that at Wellington also no tenders had come in.f Though I had for some time past given up any expectation of a tender from the Shaw-Savill-Albion Company, I rather thought that on Mr. Coster's arrival there might be one from the New Zealand Shipping Company ; but when Mr. Coster came to see me I found, that his company would not make an offer on the conditions fixed, especially in those of a three years' contract and the necessity of sailing on fixed days each month from this country and New Zealand. Ido not, however, yet dismiss the chance of the two companies joining together in some proposal; a course which, as you know, I have myself advocated as the most likely one to lead to the early establishment of a regular and permanent service. lam not, of course, in a position to speak with any authority as to the extent of the loss already incurred in the admittedly spirited enterprise of the New Zealand Shipping Company ; but I have devoted too much pains to the whole subject not to be very sure that this loss, and the commitments to which the company is engaged, are matters of such importance that it would be idle to suppose they must not have an influence on the proceedings of both the

* Vide No. 23 of F.-2, 1883. t Vide Noa. 17 and 18, F.-2, 1883.