D.—No. 1b

Will your Honor be also good enough to state whether the unfortunate loss ofthe steamer "Scotia" will interfere with the continuation of this steam service. I have, Ac, His Honor the Superintendent, Fredk. Whitaker, Nelson. In the absence of Mr. Fox.. No. 32. Superintendent's Office, S IE) — Nelson, Sept. 12th, 1864. In reference to a letter from your office, of the 2nd July last, asking me upon what terms the steamers running between Melbourne and Cook's Straits are doing that service and whether they are subsidized by the Provincial Government —I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter from the agents of the Company to which they belong, from which you will learn the position and prospects of the service. I would most respectfully urge again upon his Excellency's Government the fact that Nelson is at this moment the least favoured port in New Zealand as regards her mail service, and the English mail whilst arriving somewhat later and leaving a little earlier than formerly, has been during the last three or four months not so certain in its dates of arrival and departure as could be wished, and as people have now learned to expect. I trust therefore that his Excellency's Government may think right to give such encouragement to the valuable service in question as may not only prevent the mail service from retrograding, but secure the great advantage described in the enclosed letter to all the settlements on and near Cook's Straits. I have, Ac, J. P. Robinsok, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Superintendent. Enclosure to No. 32. Nelson, 6th September, 1864. Sib,— We have been requested by the Directors of the Otago Steam Ship Company, to address your Honor on the following subject: — You are no doubt aware that the above Company some time back commenced regular steam communication between Melbourne and Cook's Straits with their steamers the " Albion" and '• Scotia," and that the service was suddenly interrupted by the loss of the latter vessel. It is now proposed by the Company to run the fine steamer " Hero" in conjunction with the " Albion" once a month between Melbourne, Nelson, and Wellington, via Otago back to Melbourne, and once a month the reverse way, leaving Nelson on the 18th of each month for Melbourne direct, so as to arrive at the latter port in time to tranship mails on board the P. and O. Company's steamer on the 26th, and leaving Melbourne for Nelson direct on the 10th, or immediately on the arrival of the English mail, by this means the Province of Nelson would have the course of post reduced from five to four months. To give the above steam service a chance of success the Company find that it it necessary they should receive a subsidy, and the Provincial Government of AVellington have already agreed to pay the sum of £400 per month, and we have now to ask your Honor if your Government will grant a bonus equivalent to the great advantage which Nelson will receive from Nelson being the first port of call, ar d the last of departure of the above steamers, and of having her postal facilities so greatly improved. One of our firm will wait upon your Honor with this letter, and at the same time will have an opportunity of explaining the proposed steam service more in detail. As we are anxious to write to the Directors of the Company at Dunedin by the steamer leaving here on the 12th instant, we should feel obliged by an answer as early as convenient. We have, Ac, Nathaniel Edwards A Co. His Honor the Superintendent, Nelson. No. 33. Colonial Secretary's Office, giu Auckland, 17th September, 1864. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter No. 33 of the 12th inst., on the subject of a proposed establishment of line of steamers between Melbourne aud Cook's Straits. Your Honor transmits a copy of a letter from the agents of the Otago Steam Ship Company, requesting to bo informed whether the Provincial Government of Nelson will subsidize the proposed service but the reply if any given by your Honor to that letter does not appear.

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