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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

POSTAL COMMUNICATION BY STEAM BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES

Transmitted to the House April 25, 1856, and ordered to be printed.

THOMAS GORE BROWNE, Message No. 4. Governor. The Governor transmits for the information of the House of Representatives a Circular Despatch, dated 30th November, 1855, upon the subject of Postal Communication by Steam between Great Britain and the Australian Colonies, and requests the attention of the House to the subject in order that he may forward an answer to the Imperial Government. Government House, Auckland, April 25tli, 1856. [Circular.] Downing-street, 4th December, 1855. Sir, —With reference to previous correspondence, I transmit to you herewith, for your information and guidance, a copy of a letter from the Secretary to the Board of Treasury with a minute of their Lordships', dated the 27th ultimo, detailing the plan which they propose to adopt for the establishment of a Steam Postal Communication between this country and Australia, including New Zealand. You will perceive, that it is proposed as part of the arrangement that the entire cost of this service shall be divided equally between the Home Government and those Colonies collectively ; and that each of the Colonies shall contribute to the moiety to be paid by them collectively in proportion to the number of letters despatched by each, to be ascertained every two years, it will of course be necessary to obtain, in the first place, from each of the Colonies named, some Act or Resolutions of the legislature indicating their readiness to abide by the proposed arrangement; and you will therefore lose no time in bringing the subject with that view, under the consideration of the Legislature of New Zealand and in reporting the result for the information of Her Majesty's Government. You will, however, perceive that as some time must elapse before replies can be received from the different Colonies, and as Her Majesty's Government are anxious that no time should be lost in re-establishing a monthly Mail by Steam, the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, relying on the reports which have been received from the Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, have decided to take immediate steps in order to secure a re-com-mencement of the service at the earliest possible period after the receipt of communications from the different Colonies expressing their acceptance of these proposals. I have, &c., (Signed) H. Labouchere, Governor Gore Browne, &c., &c., &c.

B.—No. 2.