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No. 167. Mr. Page to the Hon. the Postmasteb-General, AVellington. Sib, — General Post Office, London, 10th March, 1877. With reference to previous correspondence, I beg leave to inform you that the next despatch of mails for Australia and New Zealand via San Francisco will take place from London on the evening of Saturday, the 7th April. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. W. J. Page.

No. 168. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, AVellington. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, AVestminster, S.W., Sic,— 4th April, 1877. I have the honor to forward to you copy of a telegram despatched to the Colonial Secretary, Now South Wales, with a request to forward you a copy. I also send you copy of a letter received from the Post Office concerning an arrangement made with the Inman Steamship Company for the carriage of mails on Thursdays. I regret to say Mr. Inman has not seen his way to undertake to continue to carry the mails throughout the year, though I am given to understand he is favourably inclined to at least continue the carriage every fourth Thursday, in order to convey the Australian and New Zealand mails. Still, the announcement of the continuous service cannot yet be made, although a great point is gained in procuring the carriage on Thursdays during at least a large portion of the year by fast boats like those of the Inman Company. In my letter of 16th February, I gave you an account of the interview which Sir Daniel Cooper, Mr. Forster, and I had with Lord Carnarvon, Mr. W. H. Smith, Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Tilley and Mr. Page, of the Post Office. Since then I have been to the Colonial Office twice on the subject, and have also written and received several unofficial letters. There is no doubt the Colonial Office supported the views of the deputation, and the Post Office has in consequence, I believe, made the arrangement with the Inman Company. I hope before long I shall be able to inform you that that arrangement is put upon a permanent basis. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Agent-General.

Vide No. 165,

Enclosure in No. 168. Mr. Tilley to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic,— General Post Office, London, 19th March, 1877. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that, in consequence of the Inman Steamship Company having tendered the vessels of that line for the conveyance of mails from Liverpool to New York on Thursday, and from Queenstown on the following day after the arrival at that port of Thursday night's mail from London, the next mails for Australia and New Zealand intended to be despatched via San Francisco will be made up at this office on the evening of Thursday, the sth April, instead of on Saturday, the 7th April, as previously announced. » I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. John Tilley.

No. 169. Mr. Page to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Sic, — General Post Office, London, sth April, 1877. With reference to previous correspondence, I beg leave to inform you that the next despatch of mails for Australia and New Zealand via San Francisco will take place from London on the evening of Thursday, the 3rd May. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. W. J. Page.

No. 170. Mr. Page to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Sic, — General Post Office, London, sth April, 1877. Since my letter of the 10th ultimo was written, the Inman Steamship Company have tendered the vessels of that line for the conveyance of mails from Liverpool to Now York on Thursdays, calling at Queenstown on the following day; and consequently the mails for Australia and New Zealand by the route of San Francisco, which were previously announced as leaving London on Saturday, the 7th instant, will be despatched this day. AVith a view to reverting permanently to the despatch from London every fourth Thursday, the Inman Company have been asked to perform for a year certain the service for which they have provisionally tendered, but they have declined.