A
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
6T
C.O.
Reference :-
885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
66
in 1885 Rs. 80,000 to the Company under a contract which is terminable at six months' notice. The Imperial Government pays no subsidy to this company.
An alternative mail was in 1885 received by way of Natal once every four weeks by steamers of the Castle Mail Packets Company, paying Rs. 60,000 for this service, and a share of postage amounting to Rs. 3,000 per annum. This service has been recently discontinued.
The cost of the two lines to the Colony amounted to Rs. 143,000, or, at 1s. 6d. the rupee, to 10,725/.
Cape, Natal, St. Helena, and Ascension.
Mails for the Cape are despatched to and from England once a week each way by the Union and Castle Mail Packets Companies alternately. The steamers run under contracts with the Cape Government, who pay to each company a subsidy of 25,000/. a year, and certain premiums for speed, and a further amount at agreed rates for carriage of the local mails to Natal, receiving from the Imperial Government payment for the outward mails to the Cape a sum of 19,000, for the year 1885-6.
On the outward voyages the steamers call annually 13 times at St. Helena only; on the homeward voyages 13 times in the year at both St. Helena and Ascension and 13 times at St. Helena only. The mail companies receive from the Cape Government 1004. for every call at St. Helena, or at the two islands. The Imperial Government pays each year to the Cape Government 8247. in respect of the calls at Ascension, and 1,950. in respect of the outward calls at St. Helena, that island also paying to the Cape Government 1,300., plus 476/. in respect of the homeward calls. In addition to the above, payments are made to the Cape for weight of mail matter actually carried to and from St. Helena and Ascension as follows:-
By the Imperial Government By St. Helena
£ 260 200
But as the total sum paid by St. Helena is far more than the Island can afford, a vote in aid is granted by the House of Commons, amounting to 2,000l. in 1885-6.
The Natal Mails are carried between England and Durban by the same two companies, under contract with the Natal Government, who pay 7,000l. a year subsidy, and certain premiums for speed, and a further sum of 4001. a year for carriage of the local mails from Natal to the Cape Colony.
Upon this line the Imperial Government paid to the Colony of Natal, in 1885-6, 5,900.; the Cape Government paid
Z., and Natal
1. after allowing
for postage collected.
These contracts may be terminated on the 30th of September 1888 by a year's notice given previously; if not so terminated, they will continue until determined by a year's notice.
West Indies.
Mails for the West Indies, including British Guiana, are sent once a fortnight cach way by the steamers of the Royal Mail Company, who receive a subsidy from the Imperial Government of 90,000l. a year. The Colonies served by this route contribute collectively 22,360/. towards the subsidy, and the Imperial Government after allowing for this payment and all sums received for sea postage, sustained a loss in 1885 of 49,140/. The Colonies retain their own postage receipts, but it is not known what they amount to.
The contract may be terminated in 1890, or in any subsequent year, by giving one year's notice.
67
Bermuda.
The mails for Bermuda are sent once a fortnight via New York at the cost of the Imperial Government for the passage between England and America, amounting in 1885 to 440. The Imperial Government also pays to the Quebec Steamship Company a nominal subsidy of 300, terminable at six months' notice, for carriage of the mails between New York and Bermuda.
British Honduras.
Mails for British Honduras go cach way twice in three weeks via New York to New Orleans and thence by steamer to Belize and vice versâ. Orleans the cost is borne by the Imperial Government, amounting in 1885 to 1557. Between London and New for sea carriage on the Atlantic, and 45/. for land carriage through America. Colony pays for the sea transit between New Orleans and Belize 820,000 a year, The say 4,000/., towards which the Imperial Government contributes 1,600/. a year.
West African Colonies.
Mails for West Africa leave Liverpool every Saturday by steamers which call at Sierra Leone, Accra, and Lagos on every voyage, and at other ports on the coast as required for trading purposes, so there is no regularity in the exact date of the arrivals or departures at intermediate ports. Mails are also sent once in three weeks by a more direct steamer, touching at fewer ports. The homeward service is on a similar scale. About once a month the steamers call at Bathurst each way.
No subsidy is paid, but the steamers which carry the mails are given exemptions from certain dues at Sierra Leone if they touch at Bathurst or Sherbro', and the owners receive from the Imperial Government payment for mails in both directions at the rate of 16s. per lb. for letters, d. each for newspapers, and 5. per lb. for books; the total amount paid in 1885-6 was 8,334/.
In 1885 the Gambia paid 1,2007. subsidy, which has since been discontinued. There is also a French steamer plying between Sierra Leone, Gambia, and the French port of Dakar in connexion with the fortnightly French mail to and from the latter port. Mails are carried at the Postal Union rates. trading steamers between the Gold Coast, Havre, and Hamburg.
There is also a line of German
Mediterranean Colonies.
Mails for Gibraltar are sent every day rid France. No subsidy payable.
Mails for Malta are despatched every day via Italy, but the mail packets at present leave Sicily for Malta only twice a week. The Government of Malta pays a subsidy of over 4,000l. for the service between Malta and Sicily.
Mails for Cyprus are sent every week via Brindisi to Egypt by the packets carrying the Indian mails. There is a regular fortnightly service by the Austrian Lloyd steamers between Egypt and Cyprus, by which the mails are forwarded, and there are other opportunities for communication which are made use of.
These places are all in the Postal Union.
No subsidy is paid.
Falkland Islands.
Mails for the Falkland Islands are despatched once every alternate month each way by
the steamers of the Kosmos Company, who receive under contract a subsidy of 1,800/.
a year, paid by the Colonial Government.
The contract, which has been once renewed, expires in July 1889.
Colonial Office.
April 1887.
Bahamas.
The mails for the Bahamas are carried rid New York at the cost of the Imperial Government for the transit between England and America, amounting in 1885 to 1451. The Colony pays 3,7001. a year for their conveyance between New York and the Bahamas.
N 2
68
IMPERIAL PENNY POSTAGE.
INDEX to Mr. HEATON's four letters.
(The figures refer to the paragraphs.)
Number of Letter.
I.*
IL.*
Iu.*
IV.t
72
""
11
"
postal rates
"
Agents General (Australian and Canadian) American mails
Australia, independent postal action of
mails in French ships
German
population statistics
»
mail business generally
2, 4, 18
11, 15
"
present packet system
11
remittances from settlers -
11
steam communication with
1
telegraph cables
Authority to make changes
trade with England and other countries
13
! } |#s©
14
12, 16
British India line
Canning's (Lord) Commission
Cape, new contract -
Colonies, general references to
Contracts, new
Commerce, high postage a tax on Correspondence, volume of Colonial -
growth of Colonial
Deficit (alleged) on Australian maile Defective account keeping
Emigration, facts regarding
Emigrants, missing. -
French mail competition
Federation (Imperial)
+
Financial question considered
Fleet, auxiliary
Freight (mail)
German mail competition
German Postmaster-General's opinion
Gladstone, Mr.
India, mails generally
#
..
Government banking business
new contracts
Information, difficulty of obtaining
Inquiry demanded
Imperial Conference
↓
7
1, 2, 16
1, 13
01
16
4,9
5,6
*!*%
MININ