The 24th March last year, only lard before me but was The 8th Instant. I now invite Your Lordship's attention to the great expense, in proportion to its means entailed on this Colony by its obligation to maintain Postal communication with Yokohama. It appears from the report of the Postmaster General, Mr. Mitchell, that, including interest on the outlay for building the Post Office at Yokohama, the expense to this Colony of maintaining that Postal communication exceeds £300 per annum, whilst the Revenue, which is still declining rapidly, was in 1890 only $11,351. The whole of that sum, as observed by Mr. Mitchell, with the exception of quite a trifle, goes to the Imperial Post Office.
Now, although the Colony agreed in 1869 to undertake the maintenance of the Postal communication with Japan, I think that having regard to the small income of the Colony and the great necessity for strict economy in all its financial arrangements to prevent its relapsing into the bankrupt condition from which it has not very long emerged, such an expenditure without a return should be brought to the notice of Her Majesty's Government. I would also respectfully suggest that
Page 150
Page 151