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Office, of sending letters to New Zealand, whether superscribed or not, by the Suez mails, one of which leaves London a week before, and the other a week after, that via San Francisco. With regard to your inquiry as to whether the unwillingness of the Imperial authorities to a three years' renewal of the San Francisco service had any reference to a Canadian service, the General Post Office letter of the 17th October last, copy of which went with Mr. Kennaway's letter to you of the 30th October last, does not specifically name that service; but it may be presumed that the possibility of its establishment weighed with them in limiting the term. But, so far as I am able to learn, the prospects of such a service being established in the near future is at present very uncertain. With regard to the question of a reduction in the United States territorial transit charges, I will not fail, as soon as I am placed in a position to again communicate with the Imperial Post Office authorities on the whole subject, to urge upon them to endeavour to induce the United States Postal authorities to lower the charges in question. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. B. Peeceval.

No. 164. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General, London. Sir,— Premier's Office, Wellington, 16th February, 1892. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd December last,, in further reference to the subject of the ocean mail-services. My letter of the 21st ultimo will have informed you that the proposal for a special intercolonial connection with the Federal packets has been abandoned. As to the San Francisco service, I have nothing further to communicate to you at present. I may probably receive shortly such information as will enable me to inform you definitely on the question of the territorial charges. I have, &c, J. Ballance. W. B. Perceval, Esq., Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

PEOJECTED CANADIAN PACIFIC SEEVICE (CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING). No. 165. The Correspondent, Canadian Pacific Eailway Company, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary,. Wellington. Sir,— Sydney, New South Wales, 27th July, 1891. I have the honour to place before you the following information, received by the last Frisco mail, from the President of the Canadian Pacific Eailway Company, under date the 3rd May, 1891, Montreal: " The first ship of our China line, the ' Empress of India,' is now in regular service. The ' Empress of Japan,' the second ship, is now at Colombo, on her way to Hongkong,, to take her place on the line ; and the third will leave England shortly. The ' Empress of India ' has made her first trip, leaving Yokohama, Japan, at 4 p.m. on the 17th April, and arriving at Vancouver, 8.C., at 3 p.m. on the 27th April. Her passengers and mails arrived here Saturday, the 2nd May; the passengers all delighted with the trip. We will now soon be able to take hold of the question of an Australian service in earnest, if the scheme which Mr. Bryce-Douglas started for a combined Atlantic and Australian service should fail. I do not know yet what effect his death will have upon it.—W. C. Van Home, President C. P. E. Company." The distance from Yokohama to Vancouver, 8.C., is 4,650 miles, and the time occupied by the s.s. " Empress of India," demonstrates the class of vessels proposed to run in the CanadianPacific Australian service. The mails and passengers from Japan were landed in London in twentyone days. The latter information was cabled from London. I have taken the liberty of forwarding the above information, showing the progressive highclass of mail-steamers now running on the Canadian Pacific route to China and Japan, and very probably, later on, to Australia. I have, &c, J. C. Bounding, Correspondent to Canadian Pacific Eailway Company; to Vancouver Board of Trade; and to Messrs. W. Westgarth and Co., Colonial Financiers, London. The Hon. Colonial Secretary, Parliament House, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 166. Mr. Geay to the Correspondent, Canadian Pacific Eailway Company, Sydney. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th August, 1891. I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, addressed to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, embodying a, 9—F. 2.