42.
The Imperial Postal Rvenne collected in 1865 is £1,200.7.5) in excess of the Imperial Revenue of 1864.
I bare already pointed eat the Imperial portion of Revenue collected here last year has been £27,267,1851, the Imperial share of Revenue collected in London on outward mails most of course be greater; although I have not the means of ascertaining it exactly, assuming it however to be but little in excess, it still shews that the Hongkong Post Office contributen
■ sum of not less than say £60,000 per annom in aid of the Postal subsidy.
The altered system of keeping the Accounts of the Department abore referred to has been found so far to work well. The expenditure for the year 1865, so far as the same has formed a charge upon the Colonial Government, amounts to $25,413.50 or $982.54 in excess of that of the previous year; which is partially accounted for by an addition to the Staff of one Sorter who was appointed on the 10th February, 1865, at $720 per annum; this sum does not however include the cost of the new building, or the salsidy for the English Mail Contract, which disbursements are not inade through the Department.
The Staff of the establishment now consists of—–
1 Postmaster General,
1 Assistant do..
1 Clerk,
1 Charge Taker, and
6 Sorters,
1 Compradors,
1 Head Coolie,
9 Ordinary Coolies, and
5 Bostmen,
and there are 8 Agencies under its control, viz : at
Chaton, Swatow,
Amoy,
Foochow foo,
Ningpo, Shangbee, Nagasaki, and Yedo;
in the case of Shanghae, the Colonial Government contributes a portion of the Packet Agent's Salary, the rest being paid by the Imperial Post Office, which Department also pays the salaries of each of the other Packet Agents; all other expenditure ut the Parts being borne by the Colony-the Hongkong Post Office also keeps an account with the Post Office at Macao, and the same instructions are issued to the Office of Macao as are given to the British Packet Agents, but the salary of the Postmuster of Macao is defrayed by the Portuguese Government, which gives security to this Department for the revenue received there;—with the exception of Shangline, the Packet Agents are all Officers in the British Consular Service.
Muils are also sent to the Legation at Pekin, and to the British Consuls at various other Ports, but with the exceptions indicated, there are no regularly appointed or paid Packet Agents,
The new building was opened to the Public on the 12th September last, and it has been found in all respects rufficient to meet the increased requirements of the Colony.
On the 20th September last I issued a new code of regulations for the guidance of the Officers of the Department, and these were published in pamphlet form.
I am unable to report that any improvement has taken place on the subject which was touched upon in my previous report as to the illicit conveyance of correspondence by the British Contract Packets between Hongkong and Shanghae; on the contrary, my letter of the 28th July last, No. 43, will have informed yon of the continuance of the practice, and also of 1 stefect in the Colonial Law » bich places the Company subsidized by the Crown without the compass of the Law which affects the Masters of Vessels not under Contract to carry Mails.
The loss to the Public, and the inconvenience caused to the Department by the continuation of this system, can hardly be overestimated, and notwithstanding every enddenvour has been made by the Officers of the Post Office, to counteract it, it has been found, in the present state of the Law, to be practically impossible to effect any improvement.
The compulsory use of Postage Stamps in the payment of postages both here and at the various Packet Agencies at the Ports of China and Japan is still found to be an advantage, the Stamps now in use however, although of 10 separate walues, are not wholly suitable to the present rates of postage, and the introduction of four additional kinds, viz: a 10 cent Stamp, & 32 cent Stamp, a 53 cent Stamp, and a 480 cent Stamp would be received by the Public as a convenience.
Towards the close of the past year the time for posting correspondence for the Mails by the British Contract Packets wa extended from 0 P.M. on the evening prior to the Puckets departure until 9 a.. on the morning of her departure, and a bes for the receipt of Correspondence has been kept open during the night; this box however except for the use of persons whe reach the Office just after the closing of the Windows at 0`P.x. has been almost in disuse.
$169.982.08 has been received for Postage Stamps sold during the year 1805.
The Colony's Share of the Postage un Mails received from London during the year 1863 amounted to £1,241.19.0 « £14.14.0 in excess of the Colonial Revenue from the same source in the previous year.
During the year 1865, 230,073 Letters and 158,011 Newspapers and Prices Current, were sent in the Mails by the British Packets to London, and 9,870 Letters and 5,130 Newspapers and Prices Current, were sent in the Mails by the French Packets to London; no account is taken of the number of letters and papers received at Hongkong, in the Mails by either the English or French Packets.
904 Registered Letters were received from London, and 979 Registered Letters were dispatched to Lordon during the year 1865.
1,253 Ship Mails (ie. Mails carried otherwise than by the subsidized Packets) were received at the Hongkong Post Office during the year 1963, and 1,500 Ship Mails were dispatched during the same period.
During the past year 1,200 Official Letters on the business of the Office were received, and 794 letters transmitted in reply; this is exclusive of printed Time Bills, Letter Bills, Returas, &c., and of numerous Unofficial applications for information made in Memoranda and Notes.
In the month of November last an agreement was entered into between His Lordship the Postmaster General in England and the Peninsulur and Oriental Steam Navigation Company under which the system of fines for overtime and premiums fo time saved on the voyage, which was then in operation on the line between Point de Galle and Sydney, was extended to si the services for which the Company are noder contract with the Post Office.
I inclose a Return shewing the number of days allowed for the conveyance of the Mails from London to Hongkong vi Southampton and við Marsilles, the time each voyage occupied, and the numbers of days lost or guinel, from which it wil be seen that during the year 1865, 3 mails arrived at Hongkong on their due date, 13 before their time, and 8 after the were due here, and, that in the voyages 24 days were gained and 36 lost
43.
23
I also inclose a Return of the specified and actual days of arrival and departure of the British Mail Packete during 1865, showing the number of days taken in the passage to and from Southampton and to and from Marseilles, as far as the same can at this date be completed.—I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant,
The Honorable W. H. ALEXANDen, Esq.,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
Hongkong.
F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General.
Reruny shewing the Number of Days allowed for the conveyance of Maxta from London to Hongkong vid Southamptan
and vid Marseilles, the time rach voyage occupied, and the number of days lost or gained, during the "Year 1885.
January 4. 20, February 4,
March
20,
828888888888888888282888
"
"
13
2
01 6 14 0 0
::::::::: : : : : :**
សង
VIÂ MÄRSKILLEE.
| Tims allowed| No. of | No. of | No. of
in Time days days
Table.
"
|{overpied.] gained.
1969 14 09 09
daya
Lost
:::::::::
VIL SOUTHAMPTON,
Dale of Departure
Time allowed No, of || No. of | No. of |
in Time
days days
days
Tablo.
|occupied.Į gained.
Lost,
Date of Departure.
1865.
1865.
50 days
January 10,
44 days
45
20,
44
45
#
February 10,
44
44
"
27,
44
March
10,
44
"
22
20,
27,
44
23
April 4,
MAT
April
10,
n
20,
May 10,
44
26,
+
17
June
June
10,
20,
26,
July
10,
26,
#
11
"
August
August 10,
11
26.
17
September 4,
October 4,
n
20,
5
September 11, 26,
46
48
51
10 October 10,
58
ท
20,
2
26,
48
48
麴
#
November 4, 20, December 4,
November 10,
46
2
27,
46
50
25
H
1
December 11,
46
ท
12
20,
2
26,
46
44
2
"2
"
#
TOTAL,..] 1,231 days | 1,233
24
36
TOTAL 1,072 days
1,084
24
36
#
Average No. of days allowed for each voyage,.
Do.
occupied in
..50 .51
"
Average No. of days allowed for each voyage,.
Do.
n occupied in
"
July
1
65888899+989*8*98*8*86*8 | 8
12
General Post Office, Hongkong, 2nd February, 1866.
43
45
F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General,
12