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I shall be glad if you will let me hear further from you on this point, because, if no arrangement has actually been made for a packet to leave San Francisco in connection with a despatch of mails from this country on the 31st instant, the correspondence will have to be sent by the mail via Suez leaving on the 30th. I have, &c, Walter Kennaway, Esq., C.M.G. Edward H. Eea.

Enclosure 2 in No. 64. The Acting Agent-General to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— 13, Victoria Street, 10th October, 1891. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of. your letter of the 9th instant, and, in reference to the question you raise respecting the mails of the 31st October, I have to state that I have cabled to my Government asking whether the provision has already been made for the transmission from San Francisco to Auckland of the mails leaving London on the 31st instant. All the information which I have on record respecting the matter points to the fact that the contract referred to in Sir P. D. Bell's letter of the 9th July terminates as regards the outward mails with that leaving London on the 3rd October, commencing as it did with the mail leaving on the Ist November, 1890, and providing for thirteen mails each way. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, St. Martin's-le-Grand. Walter Kennaway.

Enclosure 3 in No. 64. The Acting Agent-General to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— 13, Victoria Street, 12th October, 1891. Referring to your letter of the 9th instant, and to my reply of the 10th instant, I beg to inform you that, in answer to my inquiry, I have received a cablegram from my Government stating that provision has been made for the transmission from San Francisco of the mails leaving London on the 31st instant. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office. Walter Kennaway.

Enclosure 4 in No. 64. The Manager, New Zealand Shipping Company, to the Agent-General, London. The New Zealand Shipping Company, 138, Leadenhall Street, Sir,— 9th October, 1891. I beg to acknowledge your letter of this day, and, in compliance with your request that this company should specify the terms upon which it would undertake the outward mail-service onl} , , I am directed to say that these would be at a remuneration of 11s. per pound for letters, with a minimum payment of £8,000 per annum ; contract time, 1,200 hours. I am, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. O. B. Strickland, Manager.

Enclosure 5 in No. 64. The Acting Agent-Genebal to the Managee, New Zealand.Shipping Company, London. Sir,— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., 10th October, 1891. Referring to your letters of the Bth and the 9th instant, I beg to state that, after carefully considering the terms of the offers contained therein, they do not appear to me sufficiently precise to enable me, with the best advantage, to place them before my Government by cablegram. I refer, for instance, to your proviso expressed in the words " other conditions to be agreed." I would suggest, therefore, in order to facilitate the conclusion of the matter, that you should offer to renew your present contract for one year, specifying such of the conditions that your company desire to amend or omit, and that you adopt a similar course as regards your offer as to the outward service only. If you adopt my suggestion I should then be able to cable your company's offers to my Government in a form most likely to enable them to come to a speedy decision. I am, &c, The Manager, New Zealand Shipping Company. Walter Kennaway.

Enclosure 6 in No. 64. The Managee, New Zealand Shipping Company, to the Acting Agent-General, London. The New Zealand Shipping Company, 138, Leadenhall Street, Sib,— 10th October, 1891. I am directed to authorise your sending the following cablegram to the colony re mailservice :" Company offer to renew contract one year on same terms, except £16,000 per annum subsidy in lieu of mail-money, or carry outward mails only one year for 11s. letters; minimum, £8,000; 1,200 hours. Subject to reply within ten days." I am, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. O, E. Strickland, Manager,