8

land. In other words, it is assumed that an English mail arrives at Sydney on the 1st of each month, and that the New Zealand portion of it is immediately despatched to this colony; but as the homeward mail is despatched from Sydney on the 15th of the same month, and it is impossible that a mail from New Zealand in reply to that received could reach Sydney within 15 days, the New Zealand mail could not, under any circumstances, be despatched from Sydney until the 15th of the next month.

11. The Government was influenced by this consideration, and its proposal provided that the New Zealand Branch Steamers, while performing the inter-Provincial Service also, should return to Sydney within six weeks; thereby ensuring that the return mails were sent home in the shortest time possible, while the steamers employed would have about 15 days at Sydney to coal and refit, and would thus be ready to leave that port within a few hours of the arrival of each outward English mail.

12. In further explanation of the steps taken by this Government, I have to observe that from not being aware of the precise terms of the Postal contract, of which no copy at the date of the latest advices had been received in Australia, it has—in the absence of information as to the precise power of regulating its own branch service which may by the terms of the contract be given to each colony,—been unable to do more than indicate its opinion as to the manner in which the New Zealand branch service might be conducted in relation to that with the Provinces, leaving it with Mr. Sewell, who would first learn the nature of the contract, and who was well acquainted with the requirements of the colony in this respect, to effect the necessary arrangements; as a part of which it will be seen that it is proposed that the first contract shall be for 12 months only, during the currency of which period sufficient evidence may be obtained from all parts of the colony with respect to the course which it may subsequently be desirable to adopt. And it must be remembered that the colony is already bound to pay its share of the expenses of the Imperial Postal Contract, and that it cannot, in accordance with the terms of that contract, get rid of the difficulty of indicating what port the branch steamer is to visit.

13. It remains to add, in reply to Mr. Kelham's letter, that no instructions of the nature stated by the master of the Ariel have been issued by the Government of New Zealand, and if any such do exist, they probably emanated either from the London Post Office or from the Government of Victoria. Instructions as requested by Mr. Kelham will now be forwarded to Melbourne.

I have the honour to be, sir,
Your very obedient servant,
E. W. STAFFORD.

[CORRESPONDENCE.]
VICTORIA.
Chief Secretary's Office,
Melbourne, 28th October, 1856.

SIR,—Adverting to your letter of the 26th September on the subject of Postal Communication, I have the honour, by desire of the Chief Secretary, to state that as no copy of the contract for the steam mail service between Great Britain and the Australian Colonies has yet reached this colony, it is feared that it will not be possible to take any immediate steps towards the establishment of the Branch Inter-colonial Mail Services.

I have, &c.,
J. MOORE,
Under Secretary.

The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, November 20, 1856.

SIR,—With reference to the correspondence which has taken place between this Government and the Government of Victoria relative to the establishment of a Branch Mail Service to New Zealand, I am directed by the Colonial Secretary to inform you that this Government desires to combine that service with the Inter-Provincial Steam Service in New Zealand, it has authorised the Honourable Henry Sewell, Esq., or in his absence, Dr. J. L. Campbell, lately a member of this Government, to represent its wishes at