THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 3RD FEBRUARY, 1883.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.—No. 43.
STAMP OFFICE.
81
The following Letter from the Collector of Stamp Revenue, accompanying Returns for the years 1882 and 1881, is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 3rd February, 1883.
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
No. 2
STAMP OFFICE, HONGKONG, 4th January, 1883.
SIR,-I have the honour to enclose the usual Annual Returns of Stamp Revenue for 1882.
Although these Returns shew a decrease of nearly $13,000 as compared with those for 1881, they cannot but be regarded as of an encouraging nature. The decrease in question is caused by a falling off of $18,534 on Conveyances, due no doubt to the collapse of the deplorable land mania, and another falling off of $5,276 on Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes. But not only are these two decreases, amounting as they do to nearly $24,000, redeemed to more than half their extent by a general increase spread pretty evenly (except $4,077 on Bank notes) over the entire Schedule, but also the Collection for 1882 exceeds by more than $30,000 that for 1880, and is, except the entirely exceptional Collection of 1881, the largest annual amount ever accounted for by this Office. The totals for the last five years are as follows:-
1878,
1879,.
1880,.
1881,..... 1882,.
$128.519
.$116.043
$127.623
average $136.457.
.$173.641
$160.769
Some deductions should be made from the Total for 1882 on account of Court and Land fees, but I am unable to state their amount.
I have the honour to be,
The Honourable F. STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant.
A. LISTER, Collector of Stamp Revenue.
RETURN shewing the Number and Amount of each kind of Adhesive Stamp sold during the month of December, 1882.
Number
of Stamps
sold.
4
2 Cent Adhesive Stamps,
15,428
,,
>>
>>
76 12
"J
27
250 25
"
>>
""
467 30
دو
>>
497 50
"
22
"
2,499
1 Dollar
>>
""
622
11
""
"
"
DESCRIPTION.
Value.
0.08 462.84
9.12
62.50
140.10
248.50
2,499.00
933.00
4,355.14