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No. 17. The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer to the Agent-General. Sir,— Treasury, Wellington, 27th April, 1878. I have the honor to enclose copy of a telegram transmitted to you yesterday, inquiring what progress had been made in the negotiation of the loans of 1876 and 1877. In my letter to you of the 14th December, I requested that you would keep the Government fully informed by wire as to the prospects and progress of the negotiation, and especially of the earliest date at which funds would be available ; and I again call your attention to the subject. Looking to the large payments to be made by the Government for interest and sinking fund in London, it is essential that it should be in possession of such information as will enable it to determine whether those payments should be provided for by remittances from the colony, or from funds of the Government available in London. I have, &c, J. Ballance, The Agent-General, London. Acting Colonial Treasurer.

No. 18. The Loan Agents to the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer. Sir,— London, 24th April, 1878. We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 12th February, No. 3, informing us that tho Hon. W. J. M. Larnach has been appointed an Agent to act in conjunction with us in the raising of the loans authorized by the New Zealand Loan Acts of 1876 and 1877, and enclosing an Order in Council to that effect. We shall be happy to give to the advice of the Hon. Mr. Larnach all the consideration to which it is entitled. At the present moment all our preparations for launching the loans are matured, and we only await the first favourable opportunity that may offer through any prospect of a peaceable solution of the difficulties that have arisen regarding the Treaty of San Stefano. We have, &c, Julius Yogel. The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington. . P. G. Julyan.

No. 19. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer. Sir, — - London, 14th February, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt by the Brindisi mail of the postscript to your despatch, No. 100, of 15th December, 1877, respecting Mr. Henry Hartwright's appointment to countersign debentures under the New Zealand Loan Acts, 1876 and 1877. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 20. The Loan Agents to the Hon. the Colonial Teeasueee. Sir,— London, 10th May, 1878. Referring to our letter of the 24th ultimo, we have now the honor to inform you that the favourable opportunity, to which we have been anxiously looking forward for the negotiation of your loans, has not yet presented itself. The markets are a shade firmer than they were when we last addressed you, but still far from being in that condition which would warrant an attempt to raise so large a sum of money as the Government of New Zealand require. Mr. Larnach has arrived, and we had, yesterday, the opportunity of discussing tho loan question with him, and he will probably inform you by the present mail that ho was no less convinced than ourselves of the necessity of abstaining from any attempt to place your loans on the market until political affairs assume a more peaceful aspect than they do at present. We have, &c., P. G. Julyan. The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington. M. F. Ommanney.

No. 21. The Loan Agents to the Hon. tho Colonial Teeasueee. Sir,— London, 22nd May, 1878. In continuation of our letter of the 24th April, No. 14, we have the honor to inform you that the Hon, Mr. Larnach has arrived in England, and has notified his readiness to act as one of the Loan Agents, in the letter of which we enclose a copy. We have, &c, P. G. Julyan. The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington. Julius Yogel.