17

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No. 52. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier, Wellington. (Telegram). London, 15th November, 1891. Endeavouring to arrange better terms Frisco. Meanwhile has it yet been arranged transmission Frisco Auckland mails leaving London 28th November ?

No. 53. The Hon. the Premiek to the Agent-General, London. (Telegram.) Wellington, 16th November, 1891. Fb'isco renewal twelvemonths arranged. Mail twenty-eighth provided for. Every succeeding four weeks. Anxious reply Federal proposals.

No. 54. The Agent-Genekal to the Hon. the Premier, Wellington. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sib,— 18th September, 1891. Since I wrote you last (2nd September) on postal matters, I have received your letters of the 21st and 23rd July (vide Nos. 104 and 105). In the course of further private communication with the Imperial Treasury on the subject of the ocean mail-services, I found that it was necessary for me to be in a position to give, approximately, figures showing how the apportionment we made last year would work out (for both the San Francisco and Direct services) as between this country and the colony, arid also how the same apportionment might be estimated to work out in the course of the next three years if the contracts were renewed on the same terms, so that the Imperial departments might see how the cost would be divided between the London and Wellington offices. I therefore cabled to you on the sth instant, asking for these particulars, and I received in due course your telegram of thy 16th instant, the contents of which I communicated unofficially to the Imperial deoartments. I hope that I may now get a decision on the subject before my retirement from office. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 55. The Hon. the Pbemieb to the Agent-General, London. Sik, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 16th November, 1891. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Sir Dillon Bell's letter of the 18th September last, enclosing copy of cablegrams exchanged with this office in reference to the apportionment in connection with the ocean mail-services, and explaining the need for their exchange. I have, Ac, The Agent-General for New Zealand, J. Ballance, Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W.

No. 50. The Agkent-Genebal to the Hon. the Pbemibe, Wellington. Sic, — 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., 30th September, 1891. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 23rd July (vide No. 109), 3rd (vide No. 135), and 10th ultimo on the subject of the ocean mail-services. I have learnt with much regret that the negotiations respecting the Direct service had not been brought to a conclusion, while no intimation has yet been received here of what has been done in Parliament as to either the Direct or the San Francisco services. In the absence of that intimation no decision has yet been come to by the Imperial departments, and the question of the contribution to be granted by this country is still in abeyance. The papers I have sent you since the beginning of this year have kept the Hon. the Postmaster-General so completely informed of what I had done on this side that additional explanations are really unnecessary, for nothing is changed in the position I have so often described. When it is known what the colony has decided the Imperial departments will no doubt make up their minds as to what this country will contribute if the services (or either of them) are to be renewed. But up to this time the matter has not been disposed of at the Treasury. Sir James Fergusson, formerly Governor of New Zealand, succeeds Mr. Eaikes in the office of Postmaster-General. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell. 3—P. 2.