12
observe that it appears to be believed that if
the Steamers which bring the English Mails to
New Zealand returned by the end of the same
month to Australia, the replies to English
letters brought by them would be forwarded to
Great Britain within the month; but, as far as
the Government is aware, from the Public
Papers, having no official information on the
subject, this would not be the case, as a Mail
Steamer is to return with the English Mails
from Sydney fifteen days after the arrival of
each outward Mail from England. 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 im-
possible that a Mail from New Zealand in reply
to that received could reach Sydney within
fifteen days, the New Zealand return Mail
could not, under any circumstances, be des-
patched 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 per-
    forming 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 advice 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 Con-
tract, and who was well acquainted with the
requirements of the Colony in this respect, to
affect 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
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. Kel-
    ham'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 ema-
    nated either from the London Post Office or

from the Government of Victoria. Instructions
as requested by Mr. Kelham will now be for-
warded to Melbourne.

I have, &c.,
E. W. STAFFORD.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW
ZEALAND.

In the Estate of WILLIAM TRUSTED, late of
Hokianga, deceased, Intestate.

PURSUANT to the Rule of this Honor-
able Court, the Creditors of the above-
named Intestate are, on or before the eighth
day of April next, to come in and prove their
debts before Laughlin O'Brien, Esquire, at his
Office, in the Court House, Queen-street,
Auckland, or in default thereof they will be
peremptorily excluded from all benefit arising
from the said Estate.

L. O'BRIEN, Registrar.
Supreme Court Office, Auckland,
8th January, 1857.

NOTICE.

THE Partnership hitherto existing between
the undersigned is this day dissolved
by mutual consent.

WILLIAM WRIGHT
WILLIAM SMELLIE GRAHAME.

Witnesses,
BARTON IRELAND,
GEORGE DICK.
Auckland, December 31st, 1856.

ALL interest the undersigned have in the
business hitherto carried on in Sydney
in the name of William Wright, and in Auck-
land in the name of William S. Grahame,
has this day been transferred to
John Watson Bain,
Walter Grahame,
George Patrick Pierce, and
John Roberton,
who will in future carry it on as hitherto
under the firm of BAIN, GRAHAME & Co,
in Auckland, and JOHN ROBERTON & Co.
in Sydney.

WILLIAM WRIGHT,
WILLIAM SMELLIE GRAHAME,
Auckland, 31st December, 1856.

WITH reference to the above, we beg to
intimate that we have this day entered
into partnership with Mr. Walter Grahame,
of Auckland, and Mr. John Roberton, of
Sydney, and that the business hitherto car-
ried on by us will, in conjunction with that
formerly carried on by Mr. William Wright,
in Sydney, and Mr. W. S. Grahame, in
Auckland, be continued at the pre-
mises in Fort-street, under the firm of BAIN,
GRAHAME & Co., and in connexion with
that of JOHN ROBERTON & Co., Sydney.

BAIN, PIERCE, & Co,
Auckland, 1st January, 1857.

Printed by Williamson and Wilson for the New Zealand Government.