F.—3.

Siam, et Suisse, est reduite a Id. par | once, j'ai eu l'honneur de vous informer le 8 Juillet suivant, sous le No. 3565, qua mon avis, la taxe dcs lettres echangees entre la Nouvelle-Zelande et un pays de l'Union autre que la Grande-Bretagne et les colonies et protectorate britanniques, ne peufc pas etre reduite, ni dans les deux sens, ni dans un sens seulement, par simple entente administrative, et que pour l'un com me pour l'autre cas, il est necessaire, suivant moi, de conclure a cc sujet un arrangement d'Etat avec chacun dcs pays interesses, conformement au § 2 de I'Article 21 de la Convention principale. Par la meme lettre, j'ai eu, en outre, l'honneur de vous prier de vouloir bien me faire connaitre :— (a.) Quelles sont les colonies precedemment connues sous le norn de colonies britanniques de l'Australasie gui font partie dcs Australian States. (b.) Si, comme l'Office de la Grande-Bretagne, vous ne croyez pas devoir vous en tenir, en cc gui conoerne la reduction de la taxe dcs lettres a Id par -|- once, aux denominations de " Protectorat de la Cote dv Niger" et " Territoire dv Niger," au lieu de " Nigeria (Northern) " et "Nigeria (Southern)." Je vous prie de vouloir bien me faire part dcs observations que vous aura suggerees la premiere de ces questions et me fournir les renseignements demandes au sujet dcs deux autres questions ci-dessus rappelees sous les lettres (a) ec (b). Veuillez agreer, &c, Le Directeur, Monsieur le Postmaster-General a Wellington. Euffy.

[TRANSLATION.] In reply to your letter of the 21st May last, by which you were good enough to inform me that the charge for prepayment on letters from New Zealand for the United Kingdom, for a certain number of colonies and British protectorates, and for the following countries : Chili, Costa Eica, Egypt, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal and Portuguese colonies, Siam, and Switzerland, has been reduced to Id. per half-ounce, I had the honour to inform you on the Bth July that in my opinion the charge on letters exchanged between New Zealand and the countries of the union other than Great Britain and the British colonies and protectorates cannot be reduced, either in the two directions or in one only, by simple administrative agreement, and that for one case as well as the other it is necessary in my opinion to conclude on this subject a State agreement with each of the countries in question according to paragraph 2 of Article 21 of the Principal Convention. By the same letter I had, moreover, the honour to beg of you to kindly inform me: — (a.) Which of the colonies formerly known under the name of British colonies of Australasia form part of the Australian States. (b.) If, similarly to the office of Great Britain, you do not deem it best to substitute, in respect of the reduction of letter charges to Id. per half-ounce, the names of the " Protectorate of the Nigerian Coast " and " Nigerian Territory " for " Northern Nigeria " and " Southern Nigeria." I should be glad if you would let me have any observations which the first of these questions may suggest to you, and furnish me the information requested on the subject of the two other questions above reiterated under the letters (a) and (b).

No. 173. The Acting Postmasteb-Genebal, Hongkong, to the Secbetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. S IB> General Post Office, Hongkong, 3rd February, 1902. I have the honour to inform you that my Government has approved of the extension, from the 15th instant, of the penny rate of postage on letters passing between the British postal agencies in China, noted hereunder, and the United Kingdom, British colonies and possessions, in the same manner as it now obtains between Hongkong and these places: Shanghai, Liv Kung Tau, Hankow, Ningpo, Foochow, Amoy, Swatow, Canton, Hoihow. The rate of postage charged will be 4 cents per half-ounce. I am, &c, E. Cobnwall Lewis, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Acting Postmaster-General.

No. 174. The State-Secebtaby, Postal Department, Berlin, to the Geneeal Post Office, Wellington. Kaiserlich Deutsches Eeichs-Postamt, Berlin, W. 66, den 18 Februar, 1902. Mittels gefalligen Schreibens vom 18 Oktober V.J., P.O. 01/43(57), hat das General Post Office den Abschluss eines besonderen Abkommens in Vorschlag gebracht behufs Einftihrung dcs inlandischen neuseelandischen Portos fur den Briefverkehr Neu-Seelands mit Apia. Das Eeichs-Postamt beehrt sich zu erwidern, dass es zu seinem Bedauern nicht in der Lage ist, der dortseitigen Anregung Folge leisten zu konnen, da dem Vorschlage ahnliche Bedenken entgegenstehen, wie sic in dem Schreiben vom 15 Februar, 1901, 1/864 gegeniiber dem

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