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No. 127. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 29th March, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo, covering correspondence from the General Superintendent of the San Francisco Post Office, in reference to accelerating the transmission of correspondence between this colony and the United States by transhipment at Honolulu. My letter of the Ist instant will have informed you that the matter had already been brought under the notice of this office, and that the postal authorities at Washington and San Francisco had been asked to arrange for the connection at Honolulu when it was desirable to do so. Now, however, that the Vancouver mail-service is not to be continued with this colony, the time-table of the Vancouver steamers will probably be changed, and the steamers in future journey between Canada, Honolulu, Brisbane, and Sydney, possibly omitting Fiji, which arrangement would render the proposed transhipment of New Zealand mails inadvisable. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., W. Geay, Secretary. Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.

No. 128. The Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) San Francisco, Ist April, 1899. English mails arrived here can be forwarded immediately Honolulu connecting " Warrimoo," thence Fiji. Shall I hold 19th April ? Instruct.

No. 129. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, Cal. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd April, 1899. Hold mails "Mariposa."

No. 130. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sic,— General Post Office, Wellington, 7th April, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the Ist instant, and to confirm mine in reply thereto of the 2nd idem, requesting that the mails he held for conveyance by the " Mariposa." I may explain that had the mails referred to been sent forward to Honolulu to connect with the " Warrimoo " they could not reach Auckland until the 10th proximo, or one day later than the due date of the arrival of the " Mariposa " at that port. I duly received your letter of the sth ultimo, covering copy of the latest available time-table of the Canadian Pacific Bailroad Company's trains, and relating the circumstances attending the forwarding of mails ex " Moana " in February last, for which I thank you. I have,. &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., W. Geay, Secretary. Besident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.

No. 131. The Agent-Geneeal, to the Hon. the Pbemieb, Wellington. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., 7th April, 1899. (Memorandum.) Mail-services. I beg to transmit for the consideration of the Government copy of letter received from Messrs. W. Weddel and Co., making certain representations with regard to the times at which the New Zealand mails leave and arrive in London. The Hon. the Premier. Walteb Kennaway, for the Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 131. Messrs. Weddel and Co., London, to the Agent-Geneeal. 16, St. Helen's Place, London, E.C., 6th April, 1899. Deab Sic, — New Zealand Mail-service. We understand that it is the intention of your Government to arrange for a fortnightly service vid San Francisco, a route which, we believe, will be most acceptable to all those engaged in the New Zealand trade. - ■'•-