nor could all this important correspondence be sent on for nearly a week. It may be allowable to cite, as an instance of good nature not to be surpassed anywhere, that though almost every resident at Foochow must have been more or less disappointed, not one syllable of complaint reached this Office. The Foochow community may rest assured however that the case could not have received more attention than it did, nor a repetition of such an occurrence have been more carefully guarded against, had every newspaper in China been crowded with indignant letters. At the same time, it is always well to call attention to such matters, as they are often not within the knowledge of the head of the department. Perhaps it may be permissible here to point out to a few residents at Northern ports served through Shanghai, that they would do better to forward to this Office the covers as to which they sometimes complain, than to write sarcastic letters to the papers. Such vague complaints afford no ground for investigation, and whenever a tangible case has been put forward, the alleged delay has always been satisfactorily explained.
15. As the International Bureau of the Postal Union attaches importance to the compilation of certain statistical returns, an account was kept during 28 days in November of the amount of correspondence of all kinds passing through this Office. The totals of this account, multiplied by 13, form the basis of the Statistical Table now submitted amongst other returns. I have the honour to be,
The Honourable W. H. MARSH,
Colonial Secretary.
&'c., &c., &c.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
ALFRED LISTER,
Postmaster General.
APPENDIX.
(4.)-COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE, 1879 & 1878.
1879. 1878. Imperial and Foreign Share,... $40,293.96 $32,023.88 Conveyance of Mails and contribution towards P. & O. Subsidy,... $20,235.13 $25,274.42 Increase, ...... Decrease,... .$ 8,270.08 $5,039.29 Expenditure, $36,663.78 $34,347.30 Balance,... $4,594.16 $29,799.98 Increase, Decrease,..... $2,316.48 $25,206.82 Gross Revenue,.... $101,787.03 $121,445.58 Decrease,... $19,659.55(B.)-SALE OF POSTAGE STAMPS.
DENOMINA-TIONS 1879 1878 INCREASE DECREASE Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount 2 Cents 278,908 5,578.16 323,191 6,463.82 44,283 885.66 4 Cents 213,883 8,555.32 218,030 8,721.20 4,147 165.88 6 Cents 17,338 1,040.28 24,579 1,474.74 7,241 434.46 8 Cents 219,796 17,583.68 6,478 6,918.24 133,318 10,665.44 10 Cents 12 10 17 123,613 14,833.50 219,177 26,301.24 16 Cents 95,564 11,467.68 16 18 Cents 37,728 6,036.48 87,171 13,947.36 49,443 7,910.88 24 Cents 19 24 4,717 849.06 7,896 1,421.28 28 Cents 98 27.44 30 Cents 13 48 Cents 3,751 1,125.30 7,406 96 Cents 12,313 5,910.24 17,271 3.64 2,221.80 8,290.08 85 23.80 1 Dollar 3,655 1,096.50 4,958 2,379.84 2 Dollars 1,037 2,074.00 1,373 2,740.00 336 672.00 406 1,218.00 3 Cts. Post Cards 3,584 107.52 1,721 80.05 1,791 86.05 Total, $79,887.89 $101,724.43 $10,882.81 $32,710.40 Total Sale, Hongkong, 1879. $50,107.23. 1878. 61,282.84 Decrease. $11,175.01 On Shanghai,... 1879. 22,204.89 1878. 26,280.62 Decrease. 4,075.73 Yokohama, 1879. 4,831.76 1878. 6,365.22 Decrease. 1,533.46 Other Ports of China and Japan, 1879. 2,744.01 1878. 7,795.80 5,051.79 Total, $79,887.80 $101,724.48 $21,886.59