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No 44. The Hon. the Premier to the Agi nt-Geneeal. Sir,— Premier's Office, Wellington, 31st August, 1893. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 18th instant, informing me that the Imperial Post Office had arranged to make the change in the date of the departure of the San Francisco mail from London commence on the 9th proximo, as desired in my telegram of the 10th. I enclose copies of the telegrams. I have, &c, J G Ward, For the Premier W B. Perceval, Esq., Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No 45. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W , Sir,— 19th July, 1893. Eeferring to your cablegram of the sth instant, 1 beg to inform you that, in accordance with the instructions contained therein, I addressed a letter to the General Post Office (copy of which I herewith transmit) and I have this day received a letter (copy also enclosed) in reply, stating that no inconvenience would arise if the proposal to make the despatch of the San Francisco mail from London a week later than under the present arrangements was carried into effect. The letter also indicated that the mail, if the date was thus altered, would continue to be despatched from Queenstown by the fast steamers of the Cunard line. I accordingly sent you a cablegram stating the substance of the General Post Office's reply and intimating that I should await your instructions before taking any further steps in the matter I have, &c, The Hon the Premier, Wellington. W B. Perceval.

Enclosure 1 in No. 45. The Agent-General to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., 7th July, 1893. I have the honour to inform you that I have received a cablegram from my Government, stating that they desire that the mails by the San Francisco route shall be despatched from London a week later than under the present arrangements, and that, in connection with this proposal, they are also considering whether the homeward mails by the same route shall leave the colony a week earlier Before, however, coming to a final decision, my Government will be glad to learn whether the despatch from London a week later will be agreeable to the Postal authorities in this country, and also, whether in the event of the alteration being adopted, fast steamers can be relied on for the Atlantic transit. I have, &c, W B. Perceval, The Secretary, General Post Office, St. Martin's-le-Grand. Agent-General.

Enclosure 2 in No. 45 The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-General. Sir,— General Post Office, 18th July, 1893. I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, stating that the New Zealand. Government desires the mails for that country via San Francisco to be in future despatched from London a week later than they are under the existing arrangements. In reply, I have to inform you that, so far as this department is concerned, no inconvenience would arise from such a change. With regard to the question you raise respecting the speed of the steamers by which the New Zealand mails would, in such altered circumstances, be conveyed across the Atlantic, I may state that, unless the Cunard Steam Ship Company alter the order in which their packets are advertised to be despatched, the mails would be conveyed from Queenstown by the " Btruria," which, as you are probably aware, is one of the company's two fastest vessels after the " Campania." You will, of course, kindly inform this department, without delay, of any further communication which you may receive from your Government on this subject. I have &c, H. BUXTON FORMAN, The Agent-General for New Zealand. For the Secretary.

No. 46. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. Sir,— Premier's Office, Wellington, 7th September, 1893. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th July, enclosing copy of my telegram of the sth idem, and of your reply of the 19th, also of your letter of the 7th idem to the Imperial Post Office and Mr Forman's reply, in reference to the change in the date of the despatch of the mails via San Francisco from London.