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The Berne Bureau in 1892 intimated that a number of Administrations much preferred that the stamps sent to them should be unmarked, as it is considered that the overprint " injures the clearness of the design," and that the number sent for this official purpose is " so small as to preclude all danger of abuse." The New South Wales office thought the stamps should be marked in some way, but asked the opinion of Melbourne and Adelaide offices. In reply, Melbourne stated that it sent stamps unmarked, but not of any denomination higher than ss. Adelaide replied that it had sent unmarked stamps, but nevertheless considered that they should have "specimen" sprinted on them. On further representations from the Bureau a statement was prepared showing what was done in other parts of the world, from which it appeared that Forty-eight Administrations placed the word " specimen " or some other imprint upon the stamps. This included Great Britain, which country, however, last year abandoned the custom of marking, at the same time expressing an opinion that the matter was not of sufficient importance to justify interference with the local regulations of other countries, and suggesting that every latitude be allowed to each in this respect : and of the forty-eight above mentioned, several have since left off marking their stamps. On the other hand, eighty-four administrations then (more now) sent unmarked stamps, and it was noted that the face value of the unmarked stamps sent by the United States amounted to over £31,000. Of the colonies, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales cancel by the word " specimen" or otherwise ; whilst Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand supply unmarked stamps. Further representations continued to be made by the Berne Bureau, including a very strong request from Austria that " the custom of disfiguring stamps intended for distribution in the Postal Union be abandoned." The question was considered at the Brisbane Conference, 1893, when it was agreed that " all stamps sent to the Berne Bureau be cancelled or marked " specimen." This decision was communicated to the Bureau, and a proposal has since been made to date-stamp the stamps instead of overprinting " specimen." The majority of us are of opinion that these stamps should either be marked "specimen" or defaced with the date-stamp. Importation of Electrotype facsimiles. It was reported that the New South Wales Post Office had stopped a number of packets addressed to a firm in Sydney containing electrotypes of some of the postage stamps of the various ■Colonies, on the grounds that facsimiles of the stamps in use might be printed from the electrotypes. The addressees appealed to the Department to deliver the electrotypes, at. any rate of the other ■Colonies. This however was refused, unless they chose to obtain the consent of the various Administrations. They have accordingly applied to the other Colonies offering to place a bar across the electrotypes, so as to deface the stamps, and to give a guarantee bond that the electros will only be used to illustrate catalogues and price lists. We endorse the action of New South Wales, and think it most undesirable that these exact reproductions of our stamps should be allowed to be brought into the Colonies, or used in any form. Under the Postal Acts of all the Colonies it is illegal to imitate any postage stamp. 4 I. — Patent Envelopes. Applications have been made to the Postal Administrations of the Colonies to allow patent envelopes bearing- a postage stamp of the proper value embossed by the Post Office, a portion of which stamp is impressed on the leaflets containing advertisements) enclosed in the envelopes. These envelopes the applicants propose to sell to the public at half the face value of the stamp, trusting to be recouped by charges for the advertisements on the enclosed leaflets, We see grave objections to acceding to the request, and recommend that the Post Office should refuse to comply with their wishes. No. 42.— Postal Note System, England. The London Office was communicated.with, but declined to exchange Postal Notes on account of the great risk. No. 43.— Arbitrary Marks in Newspapers to convey information of a personal nature. We do not advise that the present system of allowing certain marks calling attention to paragraphs be extended. No. 44. — Enclosure of printed Papers in Newspapers. We recommend that the Australasian Convention Rules be adhered to with respect to printed Papers in Newspapers which exclude Placards, Insets, Advertisement Sheets, &c. No. 45.— Payment for Conveyance of Letters in English Mails in transit—Victoria to Tasmania. Victoria reports that a Bill has been drafted providing for reduction in Sea Transit Rates of Mails to Tasmania.