23

E.—No. 1.

THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

from the London Post Office, so that I may know whether it is necessary, in future, to furnish you with copies of such communications. I have, &c, John Hall, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Postmaster-General.

No. 52. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. John Hail to the Hon. J. Docker. Bm,— General Post Office, Wellington, 16th April, 1867. With reference to my letter of the 12th April, I have now the honor to forward copy of .i letter which I have addressed, by the outgoing Suez mail, to the Secretary, General Post Office, London, I shall feel obliged by being informed whether, in the event of closed mails being made up for the non-contracting Colonies, either in London or Panama, or in the Marine Post Office, it is the wish of the New South Wales Government that such mails for Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia should be sent through Sydney or direct to Melbourne. I have, &c, The Hon the Postmaster-General, John Hall, Sydney. Postmaster-General.

No. 20 of this series.

No. 53. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. John Hall to the Hon. J. Dockek. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 9th April, 18G7. I have the honor to forward a Memorandum, in duplicate, of the points of detail agreed upon during my recent visit to Sydney, and of which there was not time to make a formal record previous to my departure. I shall feel obliged if you will be good enough to return to me one copy of this Memorandum, signed by yourself, for record here. I have, <fee, John Hall, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Postmaster-General. ' P.S. —I enclose the rough notes of the agreement which was made at the time, which you will iind to agree with the Memorandum now sent.

Enclosure in No. 53. Memorandum of Points of Detail agreed upon between the Postmaster-General of New South Wales, and the Postmaster-General of New Zealand, at Sydney, on the Ist April, 1867. 1. Accounts between the two Offices respecting postage collected on correspondence sent by the Panama Steamers: The Form of Account submitted by the New Zealand Post Office is approved, with some trifling modifications, which are agreed to. Quarterly Accounts in this form are to bo made out by each office, and forwarded to the other as soon as the receipt of the necessary documents from the London Post Office renders this practicable. 2. Returns of Number of Letters forwarded via Panama: Returns of the New Zealand correspondence down to the present time have been furnished to the Sydney Post Office, and will continue to be sent periodically. Similar Returns will be furnished by the Sydney Post Office, showing, as far as practicable, the correspondence of New South Wales, and of the several non-contracting Colonies. 3. Isthmus transit charge: Each Colony is not to bear, as a separate charge, the cost of transporting its own mails across the Isthmus, but the total cost of both the mails is to be divided equally between the two Colonies in the same way that the total postage revenue on correspondence conveyed by this route is shared equally. No charge will consequently be made by either Colony against the other for Isthmus transit expenses on any mis-sent correspondence. This rule, as to equal division of postage revenue, will not apply to " Foreign " postage, i.e. postage collected in the Colonies for the conveyance of Colonial letters from Panama or from London to Foreign Countries, this postage having to be accounted for by the Colony collecting it to the British Post Office, therefore not being Colonial Postage Revenue. 4. Newspaper postage: Each Colony may collect whatever postage it thinks proper on newspapers sent and received by it, but in the accounts between the two Colonies, each office will account for a postage of threepence each on all newspapers, this being the cost of conveying each newspaper across the Isthmus. This arrangement to take effect from the present time. On all newspapers sent and received previously to this date, only the actual postage collected to be accounted for. 5. Mails to and from non-contracting Colonies: Dealt with in separate minute. 6. Penalties and premiums payable by or to the Company : In accordance with the stipulation on this point, in the agreement between the two Colonies, New Zealand will pay all premiums and retain all penalties ; that Colony will also decide on the remission of penalties incurred, except with regard to any penalties which may be provided for loss of time on the voyage from Wellington to Sydney, with regard to which the decision will rest with New South Wales.