¥.— 6

13

No. 42. Mr. Lambton to the Seoretaby, Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 2nd December, 1889. Fb'isco sebvice. —Postmaster-General does not consider it essential that formal contract should be prepared,, as correspondence, copy of which will be sent you, sufficiently indicates arrangement. It is made clear that you pay your subsidy directly to contractors, and shall enjoy all powers you possessed under formal contract. Agreement modified, of course, in regard to disposal of contributions from other countries, and as to premiums, penalties, and crews.

No. 43. Mr. Gbay to the Secbetaby, General Post Office, Sydney. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, 14th December, 1889. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 2nd instant, replying to mine of the 16th ultimo, on the subject of the powers of this colony under the renewal of the contract for the San Francisco mail-service for another year, to November next; and to say that the Postmaster-General coincides in your views, and is satisfied with the powers under the renewal as set forth in your telegram now acknowledged. 1. have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. W. Gbay, Secretary.

No. 44.. The Hon. E. Mitchelson to the Agent-Gbnebal, London. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, 14th December, 1889. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th October last, notifying that the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury had consented to extend the existing arrangements relating to the transit of the San Francisco mails between London and San Francisco for another year, to November, 1890. I note the qualification of the Imperial Treasury's consent, and your objections thereto. A copy of the correspondence has been sent to the Post-master-General of New South Wales. I also note that in future you wall have the advantage of the co-operation of the Agent-General for New South Wales in negotiating with Her Majesty's Government in this matter I have, &c, Sir F. D. Bell, K.C.M.G., C.8., Edwin Mitchelson, Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 45. Mr. Gbay to the Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, 18th December, 1889. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th ultimo, and of the enclosures thereto, and to thank you for the information thereof. I shall be glad to hear what explanation is given of the non-delivery of the telegram from the late Postmaster-General. It is exceeedingly annoying to find that the mails are still subjected to avoidable delay between New York and San Francisco, and it is high time that this was completely remedied. I note the way in which you put the matter to the Acting-Superintendent of Foreign Mails in your letter of the 22nd October. The question of shortening the journey between London and San Francisco I have already informed you upon in my letter of the 29th ultimo. I have, &c. E. J. Greighton, Esq., W. Gbay, Secretary. Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, California.

No. 46. Mr. Lambton to the Secbetaky, General Post OfSce, Wellington. Sib, — General Post Office, Sydney, 13th December, 1889. With reference to your telegram of the 16th ultimo, on the subject of the renewed Pacific mail contract, and stating that a final understanding would be facilitated by a perusal of the letters exchanged between this office and the contractors, I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of a set of papers laid before Parliament on the 19th July last, and to intimate that copies of further correspondence are now being prepared, which will, when complete, be also placed before Parliament and a printed set Sent to you. In the meantime, however, I forward.you enclosed a press copy of the further correspondence exchanged between this office and the contractors, as well as copies of the telegrams that have passed between our respective offices. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. S. H. Lambton, Secretary.