F.—B

14

9. The Government will not be responsible for mistakes in the transmission of messages, from wnatever cause they may arise, nor for any delay in the transmission and delivery, nor for nontransmission or non-delivery of any message whatsoever. 10. Messages on the service of the State, or relating to death or illness, or urgent messages on which double rates have been paid, are to have priority of transmission. All other messages will be transmitted in the order in which they are received. No person shall be entitled to the use of any telegraph line for the transmission of any telegram or telegrams, not being Press messages, for more than half an hour. In the case of Press telegrams the limit during the day (from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.) will be five hundred (500) words. 11. In the event of any interruption or accident to the lines which may prevent the transmission of any telegram within a reasonable time, or may destroy the value of such telegram, the sender of the telegram will have the option of withdrawing his telegram, and receiving back the amount paid thereon on application through the officer in charge of the station at which such telegram was presented. 12. Applications for refund, except in cases specified in the preceding regulation, must be made in writing, addressed to the Superintendent of Telegraphs, stating reasons why the application is made. 13. Any telegram may be cancelled at the request of the sender, provided transmission or delivery has not been effected. In the event of the telegram not having been transmitted the fee shall be returned, but if it has been transmitted no refund shall be made; a service telegram will, however, be sent to the office of address, if desired, at the cost of the sender, to stop delivery. Should such service telegram arrive too late the fact will, if practicable, be communicated to the sender of the original message, but the cost of the service telegram will not ha repaid. 14. At the request of the sender or receiver a telegram may be redirected and transmitted to another station, but if it has already been transmitted to the original address it will be subject to an additional rate. 15. No application for copies of messages after delivery will be entertained unless at the request of the sender or the addressee ; and in all cases the Superintendent will require satisfactory reasons for the application. A search fee of two shillings and sixpence (2s. 6d.) for each telegram must accompany the application, and should the telegram have to be transmitted to another station one-half the usual rates will be charged for such transmission in addition to the above fee, but in no case must the charge be less than the minimum rate. 16. The strictest secrecy as to the contents or purport of any message is enjoined. No person not employed in the service of the Telegraph Department is allowed access to the operating-rooms without a special order from the Superintendent; and any officer of the department allowing any person to enter the operating rooms, or affording any information as to the contents or purport of any message, except under the preceding regulation, will render himself liable to the penalties specified in the telegraph Acts of the several colonies. 17. Telegrams will be kept in the custody of the Superintendent of Telegraphs for the space of one year, after which they will be burned or destroyed, by direction of the Superintendent, in the presence of some duly-authorised officer. 18. Messages upon which all fees have been paid may be transmitted by post at office of address as letters for delivery in any of the Australasian Colonies, without any extra payment for postage. The sender must, however, write the words " To be posted from " under the address. 19. Code addresses will not be registered or accepted except in the case of international telegrams. 20. Where the sender of a message requires, the letters, " R.P." may be inserted at the end of the message, and these letters will be charged as one word only.

APPENDIX C. Sib,— General Post Office, London, 22d May, 1889. With reference to your letter of the 27th March last, No. B, 89/3348, I beg leave to acquaint you that, so far as this department is concerned, there is no objection to the extension to letters and packets posted in New South Wales, and, indeed, in the Australasian Colonies generally, of the exceptional arrangements set forth at page 232 of the Post Office Guide for the present quarter, in regard to the transmission of gold and silver bullion, precious stones, jewellery, and other precious articles to certain foreign countries and British colonies comprised in the Postal Union. A communication to this effect will be sent to the post-offices of the other Australasian Colonies, and also to the post-offices of the British union colonies in-terested in the question. A note has been taken of the information given in the last paragraph of your letter under reply as to the delivery in New South Wales of registered letters or packets containing coin, jewellery, or articles liable to Customs duty. I am, &c, The Postmaster-General, Sydney. Edward H. Eea.

APPENDIX D. Sib, — General Post Office, London, 13th June, 1890. The Postmaster-General has had before him your letter of the 9th instant, from which it appears that the Adelaide Postal Conference, while agreeing to a 2-Jd. postage rate for letters, has decided to recommend that the mails from Australia should no longer be sent by the accelerated train-service from Brindisi to Calais. Mr. Eaikes thinks that, in making this suggestion, the members of the Postal Conference probably had not the means of realising all the consequences which would result from the adoption of such a plan ; and I am therefore to point out to you the prejudicial effects that would follow the exclusion of the Australian mails from the special train-service.