293
11. The reduction of the fee upon Registered Letters from six pence to four pence in 18 was confined to Letters to and from the United Kingdom, but during the past year, this reduction has been applied to Registered Letters addressed to any British Colony, or Foreign Country in transit through the United Kingdom; for instance a letter addressed to the United States of America can now be registered through to its destination for a fee of 16 cents instead of 24 cents as formerly.
12. In July the outward French Mail Packets commenced to leave Marseilles every alternate Sunday, instead of every fourth Sunday, and a fortnightly French service was also begun on this side, thus affording, in conjunction with the Packets of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, a weekly Mal service to and from the United Kingdom, but soon after the commencement of hostilities between France and Prussia the French line was reduced to one Packet each way every twenty-eight days.
13. Soon after the breaking out of the war between France and Prussia the difficulties attending the transmission of the Mails through France were such as to necessitate the outward Mails being sent, by way of Belgium and the Brenner to Brindisi, for transmission thence by Italian Packet; the Homeward Mails followed the same route.
14. The number of letters sent between the United Kingdom and Hongkong by means of the unsubsidized Steamers proceeding through the Suez Canal has been very inconsiderable.
15. Negotiations are being carried on having for their object a regular exchange of direct Mail between Hongkong and Brindisi, including of course on the one side, correspondence for Italy and the Continent from China and Japan, and on the other, letters from Italy and the States beyond for Hongkong, China, and Japan.
16. The rates of Commission on Money Orders issued in the United Kingdom on Hongkong Shanghae and Yokohama have been increased, and although the Commission on Money Orders issued at these places on the United Kingdom has also been increased, the charges are still much less the those made at home. So far, the Revenue derived to the Colony by the introduction of the Mong Order system has been unremunerative.
17. During the year the Money Orders drawn upon the United Kingdom have been as follows
Total Revenue collected in 1870,
Comparative Statement of Revenue.
Add Amount received from Imperial Post Office towards the maintenance of the
Postal Agencies in China and Japan,.
Total Revenue collected in 1809,
Total Increase in 1870, as compared with 1869,
Amount of Imperial Revenue collected
in 1870,
in 1869,.
Do.
do.
Decrease in 1870, as compared with 1869,.
Remittances to London,..£24,385.19.8 Contribution to Agencies, 1,270. 0.0
Amount of Colonial Revenue collected in 1870,
Do.
do.
do. in 1869,
Increase in 1870, as compared with 1869,
, £38,934.11. 8 =$186,888.00
1,270. 0. 0
£40,204.11. 8 39,117.13. 1
.£ 1,086.18. 7
6,090.00
=$192,982.00 187,764.74
=$ 0,217.26
| £25,655.19.8 =$123,148.72
25,880. 8. 64
£
-
124,235.66
226. 8.10 $ 1,086.94
£69,833.28 63,629,08
.$ 6,304.20
..$40,363.46
The Colonial Expenditure in 1870, including $8,135.45 paid for the conveyance of Ship
Mails, amounts to
Less contributed by Imperial Post Office in aid of maintenance of Agencies at the Ports,.." 6,096.00
Expenditure borne by the Colony in 1870, do. in 1869,
Do.
do.
Increase in 1870, as compared with 1869,
$31,267.46 33,872.70
894.76
22. It will thus be observed that the excess of the Colony's Postal Revenue over its ordinary Expenditure for Post Office purposes during the past year amounted to $35,565.82.
23.
viz
No. of Money Orders drawn.
Place.
Amount.
Commission which accrued to the Colony.
£
$,
d.
cts.
1,839 059 617
Hongkong, Shanghae, Yokohama,.
10,052 10
255
97
3,140 2,822
4
87
52
5
72
87
Total,....8,015
€16,021
0
5
$416
36
The amount remitted by means of Money Orders drawn on the United Kingdom in 1870, is £6,024.12.7 in excess that remitted in 1869.
18. The Money Orders drawn in the United Kingdom have been as follows, viz :—
Do.
The Colony's share of the Postage on Mails received from the United Kingdom in 1870, was
do.
£1,394,11.61
do.
in 1869, do.
1,375.19.74
18.11.11
Increase in 1870,
24.
The number of Ship Mails sent in 1870, was
do.
in 1869, was Do.
1,816
.1,839
Decrease in 1870,
23
The number of Ship Mails received in 1870, was
do. Do.
in 1869, do. ...
Increase in 1870,
.1,191 ..1,178
13
25.
Letters.
Papers.
Letters.
Papers.
The number of Letters and Papers
The number of Letters and Papers
received United States' Packets in 1870, was
14,572
16,820
sent by United States' Packets in 1870, was
21,145
21,055
In 1869,
12,039
10,874
In 1809,
17,549
14,090
Increase in 1870,
2,533
446
Increase in 1870,
3,596
6,965
No. of Money Orders drawn.
Place.
Âmount.
Commission which accrued to the Colony.
£
ti.
cts.
92
On Hongkong,
141
12
6
6
On Shanghae,
14
10
8
On Yokohama,
32
18
8
1
208
18
78
60
26. The San Francisco route has not been much availed of for the transmission of Letters between the United Kingdom and Hongkong.
Total,.... 46
£102
3
0
$9
50
27. The number of Letters and Papers sent from Hongkong to the United Kingdom, has been as follows, viz. :—
BY BRITISH PACKET.
BY FRENCH PACKET.
The amount remitted from the United Kingdom by means of Money Orders drawn upon Hongkong, Shanghae a Yokohama in 1870, is £36.1.2 in excess of that remitted in 1869.
In 1870,.
19. The following figures show the result of the Local Money Order system :-
In 1869.
Letters.
Papers. 191,589
152,862 .188,201 168,761
Letters.
Papers.
In 1870,
28,007
9,194
Increase,
3,338 Terean, 15,899
In 1869,
Increase,
16,210
3,672
.11,707
5,522
Number. Amount.
Commission.
$
C.
$ 4.
28. The weight of Letters sent to the United Kingdom in 1870, has been as follows:---
Do.
Do.
Money Orders drawn in Hongkong on Shangbae,. do. on Yokohama, Money Orders drawn in Shanghae on Hongkong,.
in Yokohama on do.
do1,
Total...
25
417.10
4.20
13
220.76
2.40
90
2,560.74
21.15
80
1,995.06
15.15
208
$5,198.72 $49.00
BY BRITISH PACKET.
BY FRENCH PACKET,
Tons.
erot.
yre.
The.
Tons. cant.
02.
(TA.
lbs.
In 1870, In 1860,
2 13
0
16
102
In 1870,
0
10
24 ป
8
2
10
1
5
B
Decrease,
0
6
0
17
21
In 1889,
Increase,
0
5
1 26
0
2
26
1
20. The following Statement shews a nominal increase amounting to $5,217.26, in the gros Postal Revenue of 1870, over that of 1869, but as the amount of uncollected Revenue at the end 1870, was $113.68 less than that which was outstanding at the end of 1869, the actual excess of gros Revenue in 1870, as compared with the Revenue of 1869, is $5,103.58, a result which I submit is ver satisfactory in the present state of affairs on the Continent, which in partially paralysing commerce has doubtless diminished correspondence.
29. The weight of Letters received from the United Kingdom in 1870, has been as follows:—
PER BRITISH PACKET.
PER FRENCH PACKET.
Tons. cut.
yra.
lbs.
Tons. crot.
tha. gra.
02.
1
In 1870,
2
1
2
2
10
In 1870,
0
3
2
11
14
In 1869,
2
9
3
3
12
In 1869,
0
3
2
15
13
Decrease,
0
8
I
1
Decrease,..
0
0
4
12