153
:
letter gratuities, the movements of the Stremors
are
: regulated by the amount of freight from
time to time obtainable, so that the letters
which they bring from Frochow to Hong Kong often fail to arrive in tome English Mail.
for
the homeward
As a means of inducing regularity of communication the Chamber of fommerce : proposes that one of the existing lines of Steamers should be subsidized as Mail Packete and be timed to arrive at Hong hong at least 48 hours before the departure of the homeward
Mail Packet.
In the report from Mr Mitchell, the folonial Postmaster General, which
accompanied the Despatch, it is recommended
that an
arrangement should be made with
Messrs Douglas, Laprack &fo, the
otoners
ofo
of the lines of Steam Vessels, to convey the Mails -
#
15 Oct. 69.0
the Colony giving them for.
them for remuneration
half
the postage derived from the local correspondence between Hong Kong and the other three parts, and the Imperial Government paying them a subsidy in addition : this subsidy,
the Colonial Postmaster General then
but, in a year;
estimated at £ 3,000 a.
subsequent report which he has addressed to this Department, copy of which is herewith transmitted, he states that, after Communicating with Messrs. Douglas, Lapraik He he finds that the subsidy required couts
be three times that seem.
According to an account which has
been taken at this
Office.
the
estimated
annual number of letters despatched
from this Country to Frochow, Swatow and Amoy is about 7,600, producing
postage
an
in
£ 578 ; and, asscoming that about
equal number
number comes home, the
gross