F.^6

61

No.. 202. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) .'. Wellington, 19th April, 1899. Vancouvee mail now leaves Sydney on Wednesday instead of Saturday, commencing : Wednesday next week. Purpose forwarding Canadian and United States correspondence by "Monowai" on Saturday in the hope of connecting with train for Brisbane, which leaves Sydney at 6.15 p.m. on Wednesday. lam aware that "Monowai" is timed to reach Sydney 27th, but am hopeful that she will arrive there Wednesday afternoon. Trust you will be able to arrange this. Kindly reply at onee —collect. . .

.-::. ■i-ii. " ' - No. 203. :; -.:■■-':..'l^^Y '/£;.. Kf The Managing Dieectoe,--'Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Seceetaey, General ■'. • Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 19th April, 1899. " Monowai " should arrive Sydney Wednesday afternoon. If " Upolu " leave Auckland due date will be ample.time.connect at Fiji ~ , ■-~ , ......,.. -,

r [ <cl i;'i '"" No, 204. ; {rli The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmastee-Geneeal, Sydney. Sis,— : General Post Office, Wellington, 21st April, 1899. I have the honour to inform you that the New Zealand mails for conveyance by the Vancouver mail-steamer leaving Brisbane on the 28th instant are being sent forward to Sydney by the " Monowai" from Wellington to-morrow afternoon, in the belief that they will arrive in time to connect with the former vessel. A parcel mail is also being included with those despatched, but hereafter such mails will be forwarded in time to be received on the Vancouver steamer at Sydney. ' I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. W. Geay, Secretary.

v No. 205. v. . ;:: The Hon. the Peemiee, Wellington, to the Hon. the Ministee of Tbade and Commeece, Ottawa. Deae Sib,— ' Premier's Office, Wellington, 26th April, 1899. I have to thank you for your letter of the 14th ultimo [see No. 167], with reference to the mail-service which lately existed between Wellington and Vancouver. You will have learned from the letters addressed to the Hons. the Premier and the PostmasterGeneral,. Ottawa-, On the 29th March [see Nos. 189, 190], that the Canadian-Australian Mail Steamship Company decided to abandon Wellington as a port of call in favour of .Brisbane, and that the service with New Zealand ceased with the departure of the " Aorangi" hence on the 30th ultimo, and the arrival of the " Miowera " from Vancouver on the Ist instant. I regret that the company should have come to this decision, as, although the running of the steamers was not altogether satisfactory, the future prospects of the service both for mail and trade purposes .were encouraging: Yours, &c, W. C. Walkee, for the Premier. The Hon. Sir Bichard J. Cartwright, K.C.M.G., Minister of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa. ,

No. 206. The Hon. the Ministee for Tbade and Commeece, Ottawa, to the Hon.; the Peemiee, Wellington. ' Deab Mb. Seddon,— Minister's Office, Ottawa, 28th April, 1899. Sir Wilfrid has handed me your favour of the 29th March [see No, 189], further with reference to the Canadian-Australian Boyal Mail Steamship Company's decision to abandon Wellington as a port of call. I received a few days since a communication from the company to the same purport, and am sorry to learn of the decision arrived at; but, having carefully looked into the terms of the contract with the parties, I find that under such terms Canada cannot prevent the change. I was much in hopes that the call at Wellington would have been the means of establishing closer trade relations between our respective colonies; but it seems probable that the detour was found to be too expensive, and has therefore been abandoned in favour of Queensland, with which the company now seems to be entering into a contract, and which, at the present moment at least, is furnishing a large amount of freight. Trusting, that direct communication with New Zealand may be found anore advantageous in the near future, , I remain, &c, r , B, J. Caetweig^ht. The Bight Hon. B. J. Seddon, Premier, Wellington, New Zealand,