E.—4u

1877. NEW ZEALAND.

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Postmasteb- Genebal, Wellington. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sib,— 21st August, 1877. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 23rd June.* I think the arrangements which have been made for the carriage of the colonial mail across the Atlantic may now be considered to be on a permanent footing —that is to say, when there is no Inman boat to take the mails made up on the Thursday, the White Star boat takes them. As long as either leaves on that day it is to be presumed their services will be continued. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 2. The Hon. J. T. Fishes to the Agent-Genebal, London. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, 19th October, 1877. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st August last, in which you state that the arrangements which had been made for the transit of the colonial mails across the Atlantic may now be considered as of a permanent nature, inasmuch as there is tolerable certainty of a despatch being insured every fourth Thursday by a steamer of either the Inman or White Star line. It is desirable, however, that you should still continue your exertions to have this matter placed on a more definite footing, and arrange if possible for the publication of a time table for twelve months in advance, as in the case of the mails conveyed by the steamers of the Peninsula and Oriental Company. • Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., I have, &c, Agent-General for New Zealand, London. J. T. Pishee.

No. 3. Messrs. Fosteb and Thomson to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Deab Sib,— New York, 21st September, 1877. We enclose herewith the deed or declaration forwarded to us by Messrs. John Mackrell and Co., of London, duly executed by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and their sureties. We also enclose letter from Messrs. John Mackrell and Co. to you. The delay in the matter arose from the indifference of the officers of the Company to execute the document. Tours respectfully, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Fostee and Thomson.

Note.—This deed is identical with that which appeared on pages 14 to 16 of the papers relating to the San Francisco Mail Service, numbered F. 4a, being sub-enclosure to No. 19 of that series, with the exception that the following attestation has been added thereto :— Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within named Pacific Mail} Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Steamship Company, by Win. P. Clyde, President of the > (1.5.) Wm. P. Clyde, eaid Company, in the presence of ) President. Chas. S. Hiil, Notary Public, New York.

Enclosure in No. 3. Messrs. John Mackbell and Co. to the Hon. the Postmasteb-Genebal, Wellington. Sib, — 21, Cannon Street, London, 7th June, 1877. In accordance with instructions received from the Agent-General for your colony, and from

• Vide No. 16, F. 4a.