E.-No. 2.

No. 19. Copy of a Letter from Mr. F. I. Scudamore to the Hon. John Hall. General Post Office, Sir, — London, 23rd September, 1867. I have duly received your letter of the Bth July last, enclosing a copy of the instructions which you had caused to be prepared for the guidance of the officers employed as Mail Agents on board the Mail Packets between Wellington and Panama, with a printed table, showing in what mail each description of correspondence forwarded from Wellington by the packets in question should be forwarded, the postage to be levied on such correspondence, and the amount to bo credited in each case to the London office. Having examined this table, the only observations to which it has given rise are the following:— Under the head of " Foreign Countries through the United Kingdom," the table states that letters are liable to a postage of 6d. per half-ounce, and books to a postage of 4d. per four ounces "in addition to foreign rates as per table;" and the credit to be given to the London office is stated to bo 3|d. per ounce for letters, and 5-£ d. per pound for books, " and the foreign rates as per table." Ail these sums, however, are incorrect. The rates sot down in the table which is there referred to, and which was sent to you in my letter of the Ist November, 1866, include not only the foreign, but also the British territorial rate. The rates to be collected in New Zealand on correspondence for Foreign Countries, through the United Kingdom, should therefore be sd. on letters, and 3d', per four ounces on books, in addition to the rates in the table sent from hence, and the. rates to be accounted for to this office should be the several sums specified in that table, without the addition of 3fd. per ounce on letters, and 5-fd. per pound on books. I have, &c, Tho Hon. John Hall, Wellington. F. I. Scudamore.

Not printed.

No. 11 of Panama Papers, 1867, E.—No. 1.

No. 20. Copy of a Letter from Mr. F. Hill to the Hon. John Hall. General Post Office, SlB, — London, 29th November, 1867. With reference to your letter of the Bth of July last, with enclosed copy of instructions, and a table drawn up for the guidance of the New Zealand Mail Agents, showing the manner in which correspondence forwarded from New Zealand and Australia, by the route of Panama, to British Colonies and Foreign States in America, and to my reply of the 23rd of September, I beg to inform you that the Agent of this Department at Panama, to whom I sent a copy of your letter above referred to, has represented that it would be a great convenience to his office at times when the pressure of work is very great, if all correspondence from Now Zealand and Australia for British America, Bermuda, .British Guiana, and all places in the British West Indies, except Jamaica, were sent in mails for tho British Packet Office at St. Thomas, instead of to Panama; and I have to request that you will be good enough to give directions accordingly. Letters for Jamaica should continue to bo sent to Panama. I have further to state that correspondence for the Colonies of Bahamas and British Honduras should, for the present, be sent in the mails for London, in order that it may be included in the mails made up here for those Colonies, and which are now forwarded through the United States. I am, &c, Tho Hon. John Hall, Wellington. F. Hill.

Not printed.

No. 21. Copy of a Letter from Air. G Eliott Eliott to the Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. General Post Office, Sir,— Wellington, sth March, 1868. I am directed to forward to you the enclosed copy of a letter received from the General Post Office, London, pointing out the manner in which it is desired the correspondence from New Zealand and the Australian Colonies, by the route of Panama, to British Colonies and Foreign States in America, should in future be forwarded, of which change I request you will be good enough to inform the other Australian Colonies. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott, The Secretary, General Post Office, Sydney. Secretary.

No. 20 of this series.

No. 22. Copy of a Letter from Mr. G. Eliott Eliott to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. General Post Office, Sir,— Wellington, 6th March, 1868. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communication noted in the margin, intimating that correspondence from New Zealand, by tho route of Panama, to British Colonies and Foreign States in America, should in future be forwarded in the manner pointed out in your letter, and to inform you that instructions have been given accordingly. A copy of your letter has been sent to the Postmaster-General, New South Wales, with a request that tho several Australian offices be instructed also to forward the correspondence in the manner indicated by your letter. I have, &c, G. Eliott Eliott, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. (for the Postmaster-General.)

Nov. 29, 1867, No. 20 of this series.

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