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EOME CONGRESS.

No. 21. The Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor, Wellington. My Lord, Downing Street, 12th September, 1906. With reference to your telegram of the 21st February last [not printed], I have the honour to inform you, as your Ministers probcably have already learnt through the representative of New Zealand at the recent Postal Union Congress at Rome, that the Congress agreed by twentytwo votes to twenty that a separate vote in the affairs of the Postal Union should henceforth be assigned to the South African Colonies. This action of the Congress released the vote allotted by Article 27 of the Convention of Washington to the British colonies outside Australasia, which had recently been assigned to the South African Colonies, and that vote has now been assigned in the final protocol of the Rome Convention to New Zealand and its dependencies. I htrve requested the Postmaster-General to convey to the British delegates to the Congress an expression of my thanks for their efforts in securing this additional vote for the Empire. I have, &c, Governor the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c. Elgin. P.O. 06/1031(16).]

No. 22. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir,— Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 26th November, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th September last [not printed], forwarding copy of despatch addressed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor, notifying that at the Postal Union Congress recently held at Rome, New Zealand had been granted a separate vote in the affairs of the Union. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Prime Minister. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. P.O. 06/1031(15).!

No. 23. The Hon. the Prime Minister to His Excellency the Governor. ■Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 13th August, 1907. The Prime Minister sends his respectful compliments to His Excellency the Governor, and begs to recommend that His Excellency move the Secretary of State for the Colonies to inform the Italian Government, through the usual channel, that New Zealand desires to ratify the action taken by its representative, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph George Ward, in authorising the signing on his behalf by the Hon. Austin Chapman, Postmaster-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, of the Convention of Rome (Universal Postal Union), together with the detailed regulations for its execution, on the 26th May, 1906. J. G. Ward. [P.O. 07/236(9).]

No. 24. Whereas a Convention of the Universal Postal Unioo was concluded and signed at Rome on the twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and six, superseding the Convention signed at Washington on the fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven : And whereas the Convention concluded at Rome is word for word as follows in the paper attached hereto marked " A " [copy of the Convention] : And whereas a Final Protocol was likewise signed at Rome on the same day by the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments above mentioned, which protocol is word for word as follows in the paper attaohed hereto marked " B " [copy of the protocol] : Now, we, the Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, in virtue of the power which has been intrusted to us, do declare by these presents that we approve and confirm the foregoing Convention and Final Protocol, together with the Detailed Regulations made thereunder, which Detailed Regulations are word for word as follows in the paper attached hereto marked " C " [copy of the Detailed Regulations]. In witness thereof we have signed these presents, which we have sealed with our seal of office. Done in Wellington, the twenty-second day of August, one thousand nine hundred and e j„ nt Plunket. Governor. P.O. 08/79(2).] Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given j printing (1,600 copies), £6 3s.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9oB. Price fid A