3

R—2.

letters specially addressed to be forwarded by way of Brindisi have been sent in the mails for New Zealand by that route. Exceptionally, however, provincial letters have been sent in the mails vid Brindisi when it has happened that instead of being sent directly to Dublin they have been miss-sent to London, and have thus missed the mail vid San Francisco ; and, in the opinion of this department, letters having accidentally missed the mail for which they were intended, have, with the view of avoiding further delay, been properly forwarded by the most advantageous moans, and ought to be so forwarded if a similar circumstance should again occur. I have not failed to caution the despatching officers against sending any other letters for New Zealand vid Brindisi unless specially addressed to be forwarded by that route, and I trust you will have no further cause for complaint on this score. I have, &c, The Postniaster-Generai, Wellington. Edw H. Eea,

No. 6. The Hon. John Hall to the Right Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, London. Sie,— General Post Office, Wellington, 15th July, 1880. With reference to recent correspondence on the subject of the alteration on the rates of postage collected in London on mail matter sent to this colony via Brindisi and Suez, consequent upon the abolition of the Southampon service, I have the honor to inform you that the attention of the New Zealand Government has been directed to the serious loss of revenue which those rates entail upon the colony The single-letter rate of postage now collected in London is 6d.: of this amount 2d. is retained by the Imperial Post Office, while 6d. is paid by this department to the Victorian Post Office for conveyance from Galle to Melbourne ; and a subsidy equal to 6d. per letter is also paid by this Government for the sea conveyance from Melbourne to New Zealand. The loss, therefore, upon each letter sent from the United Kingdom to New Zealand by the Brindisi service, although the cost of the European transit charge is borne by the Imperial Post Office, remains very considerable. This loss has been made greater by the increased number of letters recently sent via Brindisi, not only when specially so addressed, but when not bearing any special address, and in some cases even when addressed via San Erancisco. Looking to the provision made by this colony, at a large cost, for the conveyance of its mails via San Erancisco, and to the fact that this is for every part of New Zealand the most expeditious route, I can see no reason why its correspondence should be sent via Brindisi, at rates which entail a serious and increasing loss upon the colony I beg to request, therefore, that you will give directions that in future the postage on all letters for New Zealand forwarded via Brindisi shall be Bd. for single halfounce letter, and that for newspapers and other printed matter the rates should be the same as formerly levied by your department —viz., newspapers, 2d. per 4 oz.; books, &c, 1 oz. 2d., 2 oz. 4d., 4 oz. 6d., and every additional 4 oz., 6d. I have, &c, John Hall, The Right Hon. the Postmaster-General, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 7 The Hon. John- Hall to the Agent-Geneeal. Sie,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th July, 1880. I have the honor to enclose herewith copy of a communication which I have addressed by the present mail to the Right Hon. the Postmaster-General, relative to certain correspondence recently sent out to this colony by the Brindisi route. With respect to the third paragraph of the letter in question, I may state that within the last few months a great quantity of correspondence has been sent out via Brindisi not specially marked for transmission by that route, and in some cases marked " via San Francisco." Copies of two letters* already written to the London Post Office on this subject are also enclosed, and will show what has led up to the request made in the concluding paragraph of the first-mentioned letter. I beg also to refer you to my telegram of the 2nd ultimo, iu which you were asked to protest against the action of the London Post Office in continuing to send via Brindisi, correspondence for this colony not specially marked for transmission by that route. I have, &c, Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., John Hall, Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 8. Mr. Geay to the Agent-Geneeal. Sie,— General Post Office, Wellington, 12th August, 1880. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th June, enclosing copy of the correspondence exchanged between yourself and the Secretary of the Imperial Post Office, consequent on the receipt by you of my telegram of the 2nd of that month, desiring you to protest against the recent action of the Imperial Post Office in forwarding via Brindisi correspondence for this colouy not specially addressed for transmission by that route. This matter was further dealt with in my letter to you of the 17th ultimo. I have, &c, Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., Agent-General for W Geay, New Zealand, London. (for the Postmaster-General)

* Noa, 3 and 4.