A.—No. la.

16

DESPATCHES EBOM THE SECEETABY OE STATE

Steam Navigation Company to terminate their contract for the Australian mai!. service. This contract will therefore cease to have effect on the 31st December, 1873, and the existing postal agreement will continue in force until that period, but no longer. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBEBLEY.

Enclosure in No. 14. Mr. Tillet to Mr. Heebeet. Sic, — General Post Office, London, 22nd November, 1871. I duly laid before the Postmaster-General your letter of the 31st ultimo, in which, by direction of the Earl of Kimberley, you transmitted the copy of a Despatch No. 118, 9th September, 1871, from the Governor of Victoria, giving notice of the intention of the Government of that Colony to cease to contribute towards the payment of the cost of the mail packet service maintained between the United Kingdom and Australia, on the expiration of two years and three months from the date of the arrival in London of that notice. As the correspondence of Victoria amounts to nearly one-half of all that is carried by the mail packets between Point de Galle and Sydney, and as the Governments of South Australia and New South Wales had previously announced their intention of withdrawing from the postal agreement entered into in 1864, the Postmaster-General, on receipt of your letter, came to the conclusion that he had no other course to pursue than to terminate the contract for the Australian mail packet service, made with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the 17th November, 1865, and he accordingly requested the permission of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to give the necessary twenty-four months' notice of termination. Their Lordships have been pleased to approve of this being done, and the contract will cease to have effect on the 31st December, 1873. In acquainting you with this decision, Mr. Monsell directs me to request that Lord Kimberley will be good enough to inform the Officers Administering the Governments of all the Australian Colonies and of New Zealand, that the existing postal agreement will continue in force until the termination of the contract, but no longer. I have, &c, B G. W. Herbert, Esq., Colonial Office. John Tilley.

No. 15. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Eight Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (No. 86.) Sir, — Downing Street, 4th December, 1871. I have to acknowledge your Despatch No. 89, of 27th September, enclosing a copy of the address with which you opened the Session for 1871 of the New Zealand Institute, together with two copies of the third volume of the " Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute," and copies of the Third Annual Report of the Institute. Copies of your address will be forwarded, according to your request, to the Geographical and Geological Societies. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBEKLEY.

No. 16. Copt of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (No. 87.) Sir, — Downing Street, 4th December, 1871. I have to acknowledge your Despatch No. 91, of 29th September, enclosing a Memorandum from Mr. Fox on the subject of the remarks which I felt myself called upon to make in my Despatch of 26th July, No. 59, on the tone of his telegram of 12th April. I request that you will inform Mr. Fox that I have received his explanation with much pleasure, and that I rely with confidence upon his friendly feeling towards Her Majesty's Government. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBERLEY.