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Canadian Pacific Railroad Company's time-table showing the changes recently made in the running of the trains. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., W. Geay, Secretary. Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, Cal.

No. 264. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sic, — Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 4th February, 1899. . I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 31st December, referring to a statement contained in a communication dated the 19th May last, in respect to a delayed arrival of the Canadian Pacific express at Vancouver, B.C. In reply, I would state that the statement referred to was contained in a private communication of the date mentioned, and was the result of my experience while travelling in a private capacity from Montreal to Vancouver; and, further, that the delay mentioned did not occur upon any date upon which mails were being conveyed to connect with the Australian steamers. The delay mentioned was on the 17th April. I do not see that I can modify my statement that the delay occurred on this date, nor that delays at that time were not unusual; and, further, that upon that occasion, at any rate, defective motive-power was a contributing factor in that delay. In regard to the question as to whether at that time delays were "not unusual," probably the Canadian Pacific Railway Company can refute the statement by furnishing a schedule of the arrivals at Vancouver during the months of March and April, 1898. I am, however, of the impression that my informants were not altogether mistaken in this respect. I have, &c, W. Gray, Esq., H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent. Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 265. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sic, — Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 4th February, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your cable of the 30th January. As the mails were not due at New York until the morning following the receipt of this cable, I was not enabled to reply until next day, when I wired as follows : " Mails arrived and forwarded ' Saale,' 10 a.m., 31st January." All of which I beg to confirm, the code-words used being from the ABC commercial code. The last homeward San Francisco mails ex " Mariposa " arrived on the other side as follows : The English portion per " St. Louis " early on the morning of the 27th January, and the Irish portion per " Germanic "on the night of the 26th. In neither case were the mails delivered on time-table dates, no doubt on account of the severe weather then prevailing on the Atlantic. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent. W. Gray, Esq., Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 266. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Sic, — Resident Agenpy for New Zealand, San Francisco, 20th February, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 13th ultimo, in reference to some suggestions contained in my report on the Canadian Pacific Railway of July last. I note that the Winnipeg manager of this railroad states it to be impossible to carry out the suggestion to permit the Soo connection at Moose Jaw to proceed first instead of twenty to thirty minutes after the Canadian Pacific. Without this gentleman's statement, I should have thought it possible to arrange the despatch of the Soo line train without delay. In regard to the responsibility for the mails in transit in the express cars, referred to in my report, I would say that the information obtained by me from the mail-officers on the postal cars was to the effect that they did-not have any charge nor consider that they assumed any responsibility for the through mails from or to Australia. A complete and detailed waybill will undoubtedly be a good system to adopt. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent. W. Gray, Esq., Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 267. The Postmasteb, New York, to the Secbetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. Sib,— . Post Office, New York, 21st February, 1899. I have to inform you that your request of the 12th ultimo, relative to advice by wire to the New Zealand Agent at Vancouver of time of arrival and departure of such mails at and