A.—2.

a look-out while on deck. It was an important, if not the most important, part of his general supervision of the work on deck to have assisted the master in this respect. I have suspended his certificate for six months. The second officer .was, in my opinion, entirely free from blame, and his certificate has accordingly been returned to him. I consider the conduct of the quartermaster, in steering by the light for so long a period as twenty minutes without calling the attention of the master, showed a neglect of duty amounting to little short of wilful misconduct, and deserving of the gravest censure. O'Halloran, the look-out, was also, in my opinion, guilty of a serious neglect of duty. I have ordered the costs of the inquiry to be paid—three-fourths by the master, and one-fourth by the chief officer. The Nautical Assessors think it would be desirable, in order to avoid similar casualties in the future, that the limits of pilotage for the Auckland Harbour should be extended to some point clear of the Shearer Eock. Given under my hand this 7th day of January, 1884, at Auckland, New Zealand. H. G. Seth Smith, E.M. I concur in the above report. Wm. Fraser, Assessor. I concur in the above report, excepting only that, as the testimony to the captain's perfect sobriety and previous deprivation of sleep through neuralgia is conclusive, I am of opinion that two years' suspension of certificate would have been sufficient punishment. Alfred Lewis, Assessor, Master of the barque " Antares," of Shoreham. Confirmed. Wm. F. D. Jervois, Governor.

No. 11. (Circular.) Sir,— Downing Street, 6th May, 1884. With reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the Postal Union, I have the honour to transmit to you, for communication to your Government, the enclosed copy of a letter from the General Post Office, reporting that the next Postal Union Congress is to be held at Lisbon on the Ist of October next. You will observe that the Portuguese Government have invited your Government, amongst others, to send delegates to the Congress. The Officer Administering the Government of I have, &c. New Zealand. DERBY.

Enclosure. The General Post Office to the Colonial Office. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 22nd April, 1884. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to acquaint you, for the information of the Earl of Derby, that, in conformity with the provision of the International Postal Convention of the Ist of June, 1878, the next Postal Congress is to be held at Lisbon on the Ist of October next, and that the Portuguese Government, through their Minister in London, have invited Her Majesty's Government to send delegates to represent this country at the Congress. The invitation is extended to the Government of Canada, which ranks as a separate State belonging to the Union, and also to the Governments of the Australasian Colonies, the Fiji Islands, Ascension, the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. Helena, and the Transvaal, none of which at present belong to the Union, but whose interests are concerned, inasmuch as the question of the entry of most of them into the Union has been long under consideration. At Earl Granville's desire, the Postmaster-General requests that you will be so good as to move the Secretary of State for the Colonies to take the necessary steps for communicating the invitations to several Colonial Governments concerned. I am to add that, in Mr. Fawcett's opinion, it is highly desirable that the Australasian and South African Colonies should be represented at the Congress, inasmuch as, although the representatives could not of course vote upon any of the questions discussed, they would, if present at the discussions, be able to afford the Congress the most satisfactory information as to the conditions upon which those important Colonies would be prepared to adhere to the Postal Union. I am to mention that thg deliberations of the Congress will be conducted wholly in the French language. I have, &c. Sir E. G. W. Herbert, K.C.B. Colonial Office. S. A. Blackwood.

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