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No. 62. The Sopeeintendent of Foeeign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., Sib,— 18th March, 1892. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your reply, under date of the 28th January, to this department's letters, of the 20th November and 4th December last respectively, relative to payment to this department of the charges for United States territorial and sea-transit of the closed mails for Great Britain despatched, since the Ist October last from New Zealand via the United States. In this department's letters above referred to your Administration was informed that the transit charges in question should be settled on the basis of the actual net weights, to be furnished by your Administration, of the mails despatched during the period from the Ist October to the 31st December, 1891, inclusive, and that settlement for the transit of the mails despatched on and after the Ist January, 1892, would be made upon the basis of the triennial international transit statistics to be taken in November, 1893. In your reply you state that the responsibility of your Administration for the transit charges of the mails in question commenced with the mails despatched on the sth December last, and that the British office should settle the charges on said mails despatched up to that date. In reply, I have to inform you that your statement has been communicated to the British office with a view to a settlement with that office for the transit charges on the closed mails despatched from the colonies between the Ist October and the sth December, 1891. It is understood that your Administration will settle with this department direct for the intermediary transit of the closed mails despatched on and after the sth December last, and that, up to the date when the international transit statistics to be taken in November, 1893, take effect, payment will be made upon the basis of the actual net weights of the mails conveyed. In this department's letters above mentioned, that date was stated to be the Ist January, 1892; but an examination of the proceedings of the Postal Union Congress, held in Vienna last summer, shows that the transit statistics taken in May, 1890, were continued in force up to the Ist July, 1892, the date upon which the Vienna Convention becomes operative ; so that the payments from your Administration to this department for the transit of the closed mails despatched from the sth December, 1891, to the 30th June, 1892, will be made on the basis of the actual net weights; and the PostmaFter-General would thank you, therefore, to furnish a statement of said weights as soon as practicable after each mail is despatched. In view of your remarks that, for a time at least, payment upon the basis of the actual net weights would be more satisfactory, because the weights will naturally fluctuate, it is presumed that the continuation of the payments upon the actual weights up to the Ist July next will meet with your approval, but that you will have no objection to adopting, on and after the Ist July, 1892, the uniform practice of the countries of the Postal Union—viz., to settle all intermediary transit charges exclusively upon the data furnished by the triennial international transit statistics. As understood at this department, the British office is responsible from the Ist October to the sth December, 1891, for the transit charges on the closed mails for Great Britain only; and that the responsibility of your Administration for the transit charges on closed mails for other destinations commences on the Ist October, 1891. I am, &c, N. M. Beooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 63. The SuPEEittTENDEHT of Foeeign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., Sib,— 24th March, 1892. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 25th ultimo, transmitting, in compliance with the requests in this department's letters of the 20th November and 4th December last respectively, a statement showing the net weights of the closed mails for foreign destinations despatched between the Ist October and the 31st December, 1891, from New Zealand vid the United States. Due notice has been taken of your statement that the New Zealand Mail Agents on the steamers plying between Auckland and San Francisco have been instructed to hereafter note on the letter-bills for the Post Office of San Francisco the weights of similar closed mails, and that a statement showing the weights of the closed mails despatched during the months of January and February will be transmitted to this department by the next mail. Eelative to your remarks respecting the method of accounting for the United States intermediary transit charges on the closed mails despatched in future, I have to invite your attention to this department's letter of the 18th instant, in which you are advised that from the Ist July next—the date upon which the Convention of Vienna becomes operative—this department prefers that all intermediary transit charges should be settled on the basis of the international statistics to be taken in November, 1893. I am, &c, N. M. Bbooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails, The Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand.