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F.—3.

No. 38. The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, sth April, 1884, Re your last telegram, how does matter Frisco table stand? Contractors inquiring. Secretary, Secretary, Post Office, Wellington. Post Office, Sydney. , „ —____ ,

No. 39. The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 21st April, 1884. Contractors' agents urging issue Frisco table, as inconvenience felt to their passenger traffic. Nothing yet from Agent-General ? Still waiting your consent to issue table further six months. Secretary, Secretary, Post Office, Wellington, Post Office, Sydney.

No. 40. Mr. Gray to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd April, 1884. Issue Frisco time-table with Saturday as Frisco sailing-day. Secretary, Post Office, Sydney. W. Gray.

No. 41. Mr. Gray to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 25th April, 1884. I have the honour to send you the enclosed copy of the telegram which I forwarded you on the 23rd instant, in reply to yours of the 21st. It notifies the agreement of this department to Saturday being published as the date of sailing of the San Francisco mail-steamers from San Francisco in the new time-table. The delay in replying was caused by the desire to receive information from the Agent-General guiding the department. This information is not yet to hand. It is believed that, in a month or two, the mails will be transported between New York and San Francisco in five days. The contractors must, therefore, always be prepared to leave San Francisco on Friday, should the Home mails reach that place in time to admit of the steamer starting on that day. I have, &c, W. Gray, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Secretary.

No. 42. The Hon. Mr. Dick to the Agent-General, London. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th April, 1884. In reference to my letter* to you of the 26th February, concerning delays to the colonial mails arriving at San Francisco, I have to again inform you that the mails were three days late in leaving San Francisco on each of the last two occasions. The time of transit between New York and San Francisco, however, will shortly be reduced to five days, and no doubt this will go a great way towards obviating the detentions which now seem inevitable; but something should be done as well by the London Post Office in the direction of insuring faster transit across the Atlantic. I need scarcely say that I shall be glad if you will represent the matter to the Post Office authorities as one of urgency to the interests of this colony. The time-table for a Ltrther period of six months is on the point of being issued. Its publication has been delayed in anticipation of hearing something favourable from you as to the possibility of faster steamers being employed for the carriage of our mails" to New York. In the absence of any such reply it has been decided to adhere to the original dates, except as relates to the day of departure from San Francisco, which has now been fixed for Saturday instead of Friday. I have, &c, Sir F. D. Bell, K.C.M.G., Thomas Dick, Agent-General for New Zealand, London. (for the Postmaster-General.)

No. 43. Mr. Lambton to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sic,— General Post Office, Sydney, 24th April, 1884. I am directed to inform you that, in accordance with the cablegram received from you on the 23rd instant, the time-table for the San Francisco mail service has been issued for a further term of six months, and enclosed are copies thereof for your use. You will observe that the day of sailing from San Francisco has been made Saturday instead of Friday, in compliance with your desire. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. S. H. Lambton, Secretary.

• Vide No, 33,