on this subject, which will explain the views of
the Government of New Zealand with respect
to it.

I have, &c.,
(Signed) E. W. STAFFORD.
R. Latter, Esq.,
Lyttelton.

CIRCULAR DESPATCH TO THE SUPERIN-
TENDENTS OF THE SEVERAL PROVINCES OF
NEW ZEALAND.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, January 6th, 1857.

SIR—I do myself the honor to address you
with reference to the mode by which the Steam
Postal Service between Great Britain and the
Australasian Colonies may be extended to the
respective Provinces of this Colony with the
greatest benefit to each.

2. On this subject the Government of New
   Zealand has received, as your Honor may be
   aware, Memorials from the Wellington Chamber
   of Commerce, from Residents in that Province,
   from Merchants and Residents in the Province
   of Canterbury; also Resolutions of the Canter-
   bury Provincial Council, and letters from the
   Superintendent of Wellington and Canterbury,
   and Mr. Kelham, the latter objecting to arrange-
   ments stated to exist at present with respect to
   the transmission from Melbourne of English
   letters for Wellington.

3. These Memorials being numerously and
   influentially signed, may be assumed, together
   with the resolutions abovementioned, to repre-
   sent the opinion on this question of a large
   section of the inhabitants of New Zealand, in
   so far as they were aware of the circumstances
   of the case; and as the question is one affecting
   the interests of the whole Colony, the Govern-
   ment desires that all the facts connected with
   it should be placed before the Public, with a
   view to eliciting an expression of opinion in
   favor of the particular steam route which, all
   things considered, it may appear preferable to
   adopt.

4. With this object, copies of correspon-
   dence on this subject are herewith enclosed,
   with which, together with this letter, it is
   desired that the inhabitants of the Province of
   may be made acquainted, in what-
   ever manner your Honor may deem most suit-
   able for the purpose.

5. From these documents it will be per-
   ceived that the Government believes that the
   most efficient Steam Service, both Inter-Colo-
   nial and Inter-Provincial, would (having regard
   to the amount available for the purpose) be
   maintained by two powerful steamers plying
   between Australia and all the Provinces of
   New Zealand; thus providing that the Passen-
   gers, and Mails, for any one Province would be
   conveyed, with the least possible delay, to their
   destination; and also affording a regular and
   rapid means of communication to and from all
   parts of this Colony and Australia.

6. The latter object would not be attained
   by the routes indicated by the Memorialists,
   inasmuch as these routes, although not other-
   wise objectionable, are not connected with each
   other, and a third steamer would consequently
   be required to complete the chain of inter-Pro-
   vincial communication.

7. If a sufficient sum were available for
   subsidizing three steamers, the communication
   between the several ports of the Colony might
   thereby be increased: but such a service could
   not in all probability be maintained in the
   present circumstances of the Colony. For it
   must not be forgotten that any bonus is only a
   portion, and generally a small one, of the whole
   sum necessary for the maintenance of Steamers,
   and that to divide the traffic between three
   Steamers—which would otherwise be enjoyed
   by two—would necessitate a proportionately in-
   creased bonus to compensate for the diminished
   receipts of each; unless indeed that traffic
   were very much augmented by the presence
   of the third vessel, a result which, with the
   present population of New Zealand cannot be
   calculated upon as likely to occur to any appre-
   ciable extent.

8. It consequently appears essential to the
   proper consideration of this question, that it
   should be determined in what manner, with two
   vessels only, the whole service required can be
   performed with the greatest possible benefit to
   each portion of the Colony; bearing in mind
   that if the Inter-Provincial Service starts from
   any Port in the centre of the Colony, there must
   (in the absence of a third vessel) be a much
   longer time consumed in communicating with
   all the Ports to be visited, than if the service
   were commenced from one of the extremities of
   the route.

9. In addition to the routes respectively in-
   dicated by the Government and the Memo-
   rialists, another has been suggested by His
   Honour the Superintendent of Canterbury, by
   which it is proposed that two Steamers, of
   which one should call first at Otago, and the other
   at Manukau, should convey the English Mails
   monthly to New Zealand, and at the same time
   maintain a fortnightly communication between
   this Colony and Australia. This line of route—
   with respect to which, I may here remark, when
   alluded to in the House of Representatives,
   during the discussion on the Steam Service, no
   opinion was expressed—would, if practicable, be
   the most efficient, having reference to the
   service to be performed; and would consequently
   have been preferred by the Government if
   steamers could be obtained possessing the speed
   and other qualities requisite to ensure the per-
   formance of such a service with any degree of
   regularity; but as the time specified for that
   service would not allow for accidental delay, at
   any port from bad weather, or for coaling in
   New Zealand, it is considered impossible that
   steam vessels could be procured in this part of
   the world to perform it. Tenders for this line
   can, however, be invited in order to test its
   practicability.

10. With reference to the Memorials, I may