F.—6

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Enclosure 7 in No. 196. The Agent-Geneeal to Messrs. J. Duthie and Co., London. Deae Sies— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., 28th March, 1899. In reply to your letter of the 27th instant, I beg to state that, so far as this office is informed, a mail was despatched from Wellington on the 2nd instant via Vancouver, and is due in London on the sth proximo. With regard to the outward mails, the contract under which they have been conveyed from Vancouver to Wellington expires on the 31st instant, and will not be renewed. The London General Post Office, with which the arrangements for the outgoing mails rest, was duly apprised of this, but this department has not yet been advised by the General Post Office as to what arrangements were consequently made with respect to the despatch to New Zealand of last week's mails. I am, &c, Messrs. J. Duthie and Co., 6, Lime Street Square, E.C. Waltee Kennaway.

Enclosure 8 in No. 196. The Agent-Geneeal to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, London. Sic,— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., 28th March, 1899. Beferring to my letter of the 24th instant, and to previous correspondence, I am directed by the Agent-General to request the favour of your informing him what arrangements were made last week as regards the despatch of the mails to New Zealand. The Agent-General would be glad to know more especially whether any mail was despatched to New Zealand vid Vancouver on Saturday last, as he is receiving inquiries to that effect, to which he desires to reply. I am, &c. Waltee Kennaway. The Secretary, General Post Office, St. Martin's-le-Grand.

Enclosure 9 in No. 196. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic,— General Post Office, London, 28th March, 1899. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to thank you for your further letter of the 24th instant, respecting the discontinuance of the packet-service from Vancouver to New Zealand. The statement made in my letter of the 18th March, to the effect that the last packet proceeding to New Zealand from Vancouver would leave that port in connection with the despatch from London announced for the 25th March, was based on information obtained direct from the Canadian-Australian Boyal Mail Steamship Company, and not from the Canadian Pacific Bailway Company, as you were led to believe. On the receipt of your letter mentioned above, further inquiries were at once made of the steamship company in question, and the Postmaster-General then learnt that it had after all been decided to suppress the call at New Zealand of the steamer connecting with the despatch of the 25th instant. Arrangements were immediately made to send vid Suez all correspondence for New Zealand reaching this office in time for despatch on the evening of the 24th, and a telegram was sent to the United States Post Office, requesting it to forward vid San Francisco the advance portion of the mail for New Zealand which had been sent to New York by the packet " Majestic " on the 22nd. The future arrangements relating to the despatch of mails to New Zealand are set forth in the accompanying public notice [not printed]. I am, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. H. Buxton Foeman.

Enclosure 10 in No. 196. The Seceetaey to the Agent-Genebal to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, London. Sic,— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., 29th March, 1899. I am directed by the Agent-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th instant, and to thank you for the information it contained with reference to the despatch of last week's mails to New Zealand. With respect to your remark that the Agent-General was led to believe that you had received information from the Canadian-Pacific Bailway Company with reference to the last packet proceeding from Vancouver to New Zealand, I am to point out that that belief was founded upon a specific statement to that effect contained in your letter of the 23rd instant. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, St. Martin's-le-Grand. Waltee Kennaway,