DIEU
MAL
MON
DROIT
THE HONGKONG
Government Gazette.
Published by Authority.
No. 39.
No. 102.
VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 28TH SEPTEMBER, 1861.
VOL. VII.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Despatch from His Grace the Secretary of State for the Colonies announcing the terns on which the second monthly mail between London and China is resumed, is published for ge- acral information.
By Order,
W. T. MERCER,
Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 24th September, 1861.
No. 61.
DOWNING STREET, 3rd August, 1861. SIR,--With reference to my despatch of the 26th June last, informing you that the second mouthly Mail from England to Penang, Singapore and China would be discontinued, I transinit to you a copy of a letter from the Treasury from which you will learn that, in consequence of representations that have been made to Her Majesty's Government, they have consented to the renewal of this Mail, raising the postage however between the United Kingdom and China, and also between China and the Australian Colonies to One Shilling per letter up to half-an-ounce.--I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
NEWCASTLE.
Governor Stu H. ROBINSON.
(Copy)
Mr. Hamilton to Sir F. Rogers.
TREASURY CHAMBERS, 31st July, 1861.
S-I am desired by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to state, for the information of His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, that, in consequence of a strong representation addressed to this Board by a body of Gentlemen connected with, and to a great extent representing the Trade with China, and also of Gentlemen urging strongly the interests of the Australian Colonies, who waited upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my Lords have consented to the renewal of the second monthly mail with China, the discontinuance of which had been recently determined upon.
My Lords, however, have in relief of the public revenue determined to raise the postage of the correspondence between the United Kingdom and China, and also between China and the Australian Colonies, to one shilling per leiter up to half-an-
eunce.
My Lords would have been glad, had time permitted, to ascertain the views of the Australian Colonies on this subject, before finally deciding on the measure of an increased postage rate; but seeing that the question of the re-establishment of the second mail was regarded as very urgent by the Deputation, and that the importance of this communication to the Australian Colonies was forcibly urged by the Gentlemen who represented those Colonies in the Deputation; and seeing, also, that it was the general feeling of the Deputation that no objection would be felt to the proposed increase of postage on the China corres- pondence; my Lords did not hesitate to anticipate what they presume will be the feeling of the Colonies, and sanction the mensure at once rather than delay what was represented as so important for the interests of all persons connected with the trade with China.
I am to request that the Duke of Newcastle will take the earliest opportunity of communicating with the several Colonies on this subject. Should they demur to taking their share in the cost of this additional service by means of the proposed increase in the rate of postage my Lords would have to consider the propriety of discontinuing it, which can be done at a short notice, ander the arrangement they are able to make with the Peninsular and Oriental Steain Navigation Company.
In conclusion, I am to request that you will move His Grace to cause the Government of Hongkong to be informed of the intention to re-establish the second monthly mail to China, and to increase the rate of postage on letters to and from China, with the view to defray the additional expense which will be thereby incurred.--I am, &c.,
SIR F. ROGERS, Bt.,
jc., fc.,
c.
(Signed,) G. A. HAMILTON,
No. 103. .
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The attention of the Public is specially called to the subjoined Post Office Notification issued by The Acting Postmaster General.
By Order,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 25th September, 1861.
W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.
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