This reduction of postage,
coupled with certain alterations
in the Continental special transit
rates, was found, on the completion
of the necessary returns, to result in a considerable diminution
in the proportion of postage available for the sea service.
In the case.
case of letters, the chief
item in the returns, the sea rate was reduced from 20. 61. per single letter.
For the information of Colonel Hanley, I should state
that an explanation in theis
sense is believed to have been
furnished by this Department
in
)
uclosed
433
in the form of a memorandum attached to the corrected General
Account for December 1884, as prepared between this Depart-
ment and the
Post
Hong Kong to Office; but, as ellr Lister makeo
allusion to the memorandum,
it has probably been overlooked.
Jam to add that the
assessments resu
resulting in the
surcharge, unde
under previra are based upon the actual sex
postage accruing on the mails exchanged in the three years ended on the 31st of January
1883, and that all the calculations
have been carefully checked
and