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VANCOUVER SERVICE.
No. 140. The Deputy Postmastee - Genekal, Ottawa, to the Hon. the Postmastbe - Genebal, Wellington. Sic, — Post Office Department, Canada, Ottawa, 23rd November, 1901. Referring to the question discussed in my letter of the 23rd August, 1898 [No. 223, F.-6, 1899], and your reply of the 26th October, 1898 [No. 233, F.-6, 1899], as to the appropriation of the sea-postage on matter sent from Great Britain via Canada, and by the steamers of the Canadian-Australian line to New Zealand, I beg leave to inform you that a letter is being written to-day to the General Post Office, London, stating that this Department adheres to the view that it should receive credit for the postage in question. In the letter from your office to which reference is made the opinion is expressed that this Department misapprehends the relations of the United States Post Office to the San Francisco service. It is not clear, however, to my mind that such is the case. The United States Post Office, not paying any subsidy for the service in question, was willing to apply all the accrued sea-postage on matter sent from San Francisco to New Zealand towards the maintenance of the service. The case of Canada is different. It subsidises the service, as you are aware, to the amount of £25,000 sterling, expecting to receive a partial return for this outlay in the sea-postage on mail-matter forwarded. As regards the resolutions adopted by the New Zealand House of Bepresentatives, I may observe that, while a copy of these was transmitted by you to this Department, no attention was drawn to any provision therein by which Canada was expected to be bound, and the main purpose of your communication was understood to be the obtaining of information as to the forwarding of your mails after arrival in Canada, as was apparent from the terms of the reply sent to you on the 25th January, 1898. I am further to observe that upon an examination of the resolutions in question it is found that they speak explicitly only of the service in one direction—viz., from New Zealand to Vancouver. I have, &c, E. M. Coultee, The Postmaster-General, Wellington. Deputy Postmaster-General.
No. 141. The Sbcbetaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-Genebal, Ottawa. Sic, — General Post Office, Wellington, 7th January, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd November last, in reply to mine of 26th October, 1898, about the Pacific sea-rates collected by your Department on correspondence from Great Britain, &c, for this colony, conveyed by the Vancouver mail-service during the period New Zealand was a party to the contract; and note that your Department adheres to the view that it should receive credit for the sea-postage. I may say that it had been considered that the matter was closed, seeing that no communication on the subject had come to hand since your letter of the 31st August, 1899, [Not printed. It stated that the London Post Office had been written to on 10th May, and that a further communication would be addressed to that office.] I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. W. Geay, Secretary.
No. 142. Exteact from Mr. H. Stephenson Smith's Letter of the 6th February, 1902. [No. 123.] "It is rumoured that the Canadian-Pacific Company is going to considerably accelerate its overland express in the near future—l think, making Montreal in four days. But Ido not know how much of this reduced time will affect the Pacific section."
No. 143. The Sbceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Diebctoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 17th February, 1902. Now that the Vancouver steamers are again to call at Fiji, may we rely on your monthly vessel from Auckland connecting regularly with Vancouver boats at Fiji ? This month the Vancouver