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Enclosure. 2 in No. 224. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-Geneeal. Sis,— _ General Post Office, E.C, Ist September, 1898. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, concerning the detention of the steamer " Aurania " in New York Harbour, and the consequent delay to the mails which she carried. In reply, I am to say that the homeward mail-steamers from New York are not under the control of this department, but the records of this office show that the " Aurania" was detained by fog in New York Harbour from the 24th to the 26th May. I am, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. W. Boche, for the Secretary.

No. 225. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Peemiee. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sic,— Bth September, 1898. I beg herewith to transmit copy of correspondence with the London General Post Office with respect to the question of payment for the sea-conveyance of the mails forwarded vid Vancouver. Copies of the letters from this office of the 22nd December and 17th January last, and of that from the London Post Office of the 7th January, referred to in the London Post Office letter, were forwarded to you with my letter of the 19th January last [No. 131, F.-6, 1898], and copy of that of Ist February from the London Post Office went with my letter of the 10th February last [No. 134, F.-6, 1898]. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. P. Beeves.

Enclosure 1 in No. 225. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-Geneeal. Sib, — General Post Office, London, 6th September, 1898. Beferring to your letters of the 22nd December, 1897, and the 17th January, 1898, and to the replies from this office dated the 7th January [Enclosure in No. 131, F.-6, 1898] and the Ist February [Enclosure in No. 134, F.-6, 1898], relative to the mail-service to New Zealand, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that the colonial Post Office, in its account for the first quarter of the present year, has made a claim against this office for direct payment for the sea-conveyance of the mails despatched from the United Kingdom for the colony and forwarded vid Vancouver. In the letters addressed to you from this office on this subject it was explained that the full Union rates for land and sea transit in respect of British mails despatched to New Zealand vid Vancouver are paid by this department to the Canadian Post Office, as that office primarily subsidises the Canadian-Australian Steamship Company, and is therefore entitled to receive the payment; and also that any departure from this arrangement would be a subject on which the New Zealand Government would have to come to terms with that of Canada. This will now, of course, be pointed out to the Post Office of New Zealand; but the Post-master-General thinks it right first to call your attention to the matter, in view of the statements made by this office, for the information of the New Zealand Government, in the correspondence above referred to. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. W. Boche, for the Secretary.

Enclosure 2 in No. 225. The Seceetaey to the Agent-Geneeal to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, London. Sis, — 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., 7th September, 1898. I am directed by the Agent-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, with reference to the claim made by the New Zealand Post Office for direct payment for the sea-conveyance of the mails despatched from the United Kingdom for the colony and forwarded vid Vancouver, and, in reply, to state that a full report, accompanied by copies of all letters (including those specified in your letter) which passed between this office and yours on the subject to which you refer, was communicated at the time to the New Zealand Government, so that the New Zealand Post Office is fully cognisant of what then took place, and of the position which your office took up with reference to the question of the sea-rates. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. Waltee Kennaway.

No. 226. The Hon. the Peemiee to the Agent-Geneeal. Sic, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 13th September, 1898. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th July last [No. 7, F.-6b, 1898], forwarding copy of one received from the liquidator of the Canadian-Australian Boyal Mail Steamship Company, with reference to the late arrival at Vancouver of the mails for

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