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Enclosure 11 in No. 196. The Seceetaey to. the Agent-Geneeal to Messrs. J. Duthie and Co., London. Deae Sibs,— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., sth April, 1899. Beferring to my letter to you of the 28th ultimo, I have to inform you that the mails vid Vancouver are coming by the s.s. " Umbria," which left New York on the Ist instant. With regard to the outgoing mails of the week before last, the Agent-General has been informed by the General Post Office that no mail was despatched on the 25th ultimo from London to New Zealand vid Vancouver, but that all letters posted in time for despatch on the evening of the 24th ultimo were sent vid Suez. . I am, &c,, Messrs. J. Duthie and Co., 6, Lime Street Square, E.C. Waltee Kennaway.

No. 197. The Colonial Postmasteb, Suva, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sic,— General Post Office, Suva, Fiji, sth April, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, informing me of the discontinuance of the mail-service between Wellington and Vancouver, and to state that I have brought the same under the notice of His Excellency the Governor. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Leslie J. Walkee.

No. 198. The Deputy Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Postal and Electric Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Sydney, Sib,— 12th April, 1899. Beferring to your communications (two) [see Nos. 187 and 194], dated the 29th ultimo, relative to the question of transmission of mails from New Zealand to Canada and Honolulu, vid Sydney and Brisbane, by the Canadian-Australian mail-steamers, I have the honour to intimate that, as was the case before these steamers called at New Zealand, the charges made by this department to the postal administrations of non-contracting colonies are as follows, namely: Letters and post-cards, 12s. per pound; books and packets, Is. per pound; newspapers, 6d. per pound ; parcels, 2d. per pound. The accounts will be rendered half-yearly, and, to permit of this being done, I shall be glad if you will be so good as to cause a statement to be forwarded to this office, as early as convenient after the 30th June and the 31st December in each year, giving particulars of mails despatched from New Zealand for transmission by the steamers referred to. I may add that a new time-table for the Sydney-Vancouver service has not yet been definitely decided upon, but the first steamer to go vid Brisbane will leave Sydney at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the 25th of this month, and it is probable that the steamer will leave every four weeks from that date. The approved time-table will, however, be forwarded to you in due course. Parcel-mails will be placed on the steamer at Sydney on the 25th, whilst other mails will be sent overland on Wednesday, the 26th, to catch the steamer at Brisbane. I have, <fee, S. H. Lambton, Deputy Postmaster-General. :; The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 199. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Geneeal Managee for the Colonies, New Zealand Shipping Company, Christchurch. Sic,— . General Post Office, Wellington, 13th April, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, forwarding the intimation from the official liquidator of the Canadian-Australian Boyal Mail Steamship Company that he is not prepared to continue the mail-service between Wellington and Vancouver, and confirming telegrams which you have addressed to the Bight Hon. B. J. Seddon and myself on the subject. I have, &c, The General Manager for the Colonies, W. Geay, Secretary. New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), Christchurch.

~ No. 200. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 14th April, 1899. WiLt Vancouver steamers leave Sydney Tuesday, and mails following day? When due Vancouver ? '___ :

No. 201. '.*, , The Deputy Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, ■;, [■■■! , ■■■■'.■■: Wellington. . •- .' '. .: : •„■ (Telegram.) _.; ..:•,. Sydney, 14th April, 1899.;. ■ Steamee Tuesday, mail from Sydney Wednesday twenty-sixth April; Brisbane Friday; due Vancouver nineteenth May; and each four weeks after. "v ' (