PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference,

133

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NUT TO I BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

25 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

не

17. The following statements will show that, during the past, as in previous rears, all efforts have been made towards the progress of the service, and that whilst the establishment of the system of sorting the Mails at sea, the introduction of the Money Order system, and the various other improvements inaugurated, hare, of necessity, caused some increase of expenditure, the Hevenue which has accrued, both to the Colony and to the Imperial Office, has been 'augmented, and I trust the general results will be found satisfactory.

18.

Total Revenue collected in 1862,

Comparative Statement of Revenue.

Add amount received from Imperial Post Office towards the maintenance of Postal

Agencies at the Ports in China and Japan,.

Total Revenue collected in 1807,

Total increase in 1863, as compared with 1867,.

Amount of Imperial Revenue collected in 1862,

do.

1867, do Do

Increase in 1868, as compared with 1867,

Amount of Colonial Revenue in 1968,

Do.

do.

1957,

Increase in 1803, as compared with 1807,

£36,489.11.10} ==$174,823.45

052.10.0 =$ 4,572.00 £37,375. 1.104 =2179,400,43 34,787.19. 0] =8166,08237

.£ 2,387. 2.10 =8 12,418.23

£24,592.11.11 =8112,044.48 $2,608.13. 0 =$108,522.00

£ 1,983.16.11 =$ 9,502.40

$ 61,355.99

58,400.17

$ 2,893.82

19. The amount of uncollectel Revenue due to the Colony at the end of 1868, was $1,663.23 in excess of that which was outstanding at the end of 1947, therefore the Colonial Revenue of 1963 is netually $4,559,07 more than that of 1867.

20. Tus whole revenue of 1994 issing $12,118.28 in excess of the revenue of 1867, it may be fairly assumed that, to some considerable extent, the system of Marine Sorting, and the attez lant scceleration in the delivery of the letters, has had some efect in checking their illicit conveyance, although it has not entirely eradicated the practice.

21. The expenditure in the year 1948, incleding a sum of $2.27.51, paid for the conveyance of Mails by private Ship, amonats to Si217.21, of which 84,572 has been contributed by the Imperial Office, in rid of the charges for maintaining Post Offices at the Ports, which reduces the amount forming a charge upon the Colony to $20,645.21, or $366.26 in excess of that of 1897.

. I append a return, markel A. of the Gross and Net Revenue for the Eight clear years the Department has been under the control of this Government, which shews its general progress.

23. The Colony's share of the Postage on Mails from the United Kingdom in 1863 amounts to £1,285.12.2 or £473.88 in excess of the sum received from the same source in 1867.

24. The number of Letters and Papers sent from Hongkong to the United Kingdom în 1803 was as follows, viz. :——

BY BRITISH PACKET.

Letters. Papere and Prices Current, .903,530

In 1863,

In 1997,.

.......164,761

Excess in 1808,.. 38,819

161,173

145,597

15,578

BY FRENCH PACKET.

In 1868,

la 1867,

Letters. Papers and Prices Current.

9,093 10,307

2,148

4,428

Excess in 1867,

1,504

2,280

+

ext.

PER FREXCR Packet.

lbs. дта

25. The weight of Letters sent to the United Kingdom in 1809, is as follows:-

PER BRITISH Packet.

Tum.

Via Southampton,......0 Via Marseilles,

txt. 13

gre. 7b4.

Ob

1

2

8

1 13

2. 1

4

*

Total,..

.2 16

3 3

12

2

25 3

31

2. The weight of Letters received from the United Kingdom in 1808, is as follows:-

PER BRITISH PACKET.

Via Southampton,-

Ton .1

cxt.

gre.

The

+ 12

Via Marseilles, .....

$5

3

4

Total,..

9

0

9

4

30. The number of Mails received by private Ships during 1869 is 1,102, against 1,170 in 1867, whilst those despatched shew a decrease of 475 in 1808 as compared with 1867, the numbers being, in 1807, 1,747, and in 1863, 1,273.

31. The number of Letters on official business sent from the Department to the Public, the Agents at the Ports and the rarions Public Otices, during the year 1808 has increased by 365, the number in 1807 being 855, against 1,220 last year, and a corresponding increase has taken place in the number of those received.

32. From the returns appended, markesi B. and C., it will be observed that, the British Contract Packets have arrived with the Mails from home with more punctuality than hitherto during the past year, and, that although the average time allowed from the voyages has been shorter than formerly, the average time occupied has been a few hours less by Southampton, and a few hours more by Marseilles; 15 Mails having arrived before their due date, 6 on their due date, and only 5 after the time set down for arrival, and that 23 days were gained on the voyage, and 7 list, in the transmission of the Maile vid Southampton, and 7 days were lost, and 23 gained, in the transmission of those vin Marseilles, against 42 days gained, and 10 lost, in the year 1867, and that the quickest time in which a Mail was brought from London to Hongkong við Marseilles was 30 days, against 38 days in 1887.

33. I append a return, marked D. of the dates of arrival and departure of the French Packets in the year 1808, by which it will be seen that the shortest time occupied in conveying a Mail from London to Hongkong in 1808 was 33 days, against

days in the two previous years.

34. And I also append a Statement, marked E. of the arrivals and departures of the United States Mail Packets ai Hongkong during the year 1808.

35. The amount realized by the sale of Postage Stamps during the year 1808 was g133,802.12, of which Stamps of the value of $77,779.26 were sold in Hongkong, auil the remainder, viz.: 850,031.80, at the Ports, shewing a decrease of 2,580.70 in those sold at Hongkong and an increase of $8,9,58 in those sold at the Ports, as compared with 1867; I Qubes a list of the number and value of each kind of Postage Stamps sold in 1808, vix.:--

227,464...

191,203.

132,601.

169,528.

5,357.

7,876.

100,584.. 02,817.

32,531

25,061

2 Cent Stamps.

+ *2

0 32

8 n

"

.12 コサ

18 27

24

"

.30

やう

48 .90

"

4,519.28

7,651.72

7,950.66

.13,562.24

7,002.84

1,417.08

.24,140.16

27,845.10

15,014.88

24,058.56

$133,802.12

36. The Money Order system between Hongkong, Shanghae and Yokohama and the United Kingdom, has clearly proved itself of great convenience to the Public; during the three months of its operation, 388 Orders having been issued in Hongkong on the United Kingdom amounting to £2,150.14.4; 91 at Shanghai amounting to £442.8.11, and 5-4 at Yokohama amounting to £29.16.4; the Balance of Commission which accrued to the Colony on account of these Orders is as follows:-

Hongkong, Shanghae, Yokohama,

TOTAL,...

.$10.08 cents

9.08 3.74

"

"

$53.80 cents;

it will therefore be seen that, although the advantage to the Public has doubtless been great, the system, so far, has not been

remunerative.

37. One Order only (for £7.0.0) was drawn in the United Kingdom upon Hongkong, and one (for 15) upon Shanghai, during the three Months of the Year.

33. The Local Money Order system between Hongkong, Shanghae and Yokohama, which was commenced on the 1st November, has not been much availed of yet, 3 Orders only having been issued in Hongkong on Shanghae, amounting to $110 and 3 on Yokohama amounting to $74: whilst One Order was issued at Shanghao upon Hongkong for $18: and 4 Orders were issued at Yokohama on Hongkong amounting to $47.81; the Commission received by the Colony on account of Local Money Orders amounts to $2.10.-I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant,

F. W. MITCHELL,

Postmaster General

PER FRENCH PACKET. ext.

lbs. OL. gra.

The Honorable J. GARDINER Austin,

Colonial Secretary.

$c., 4.,

fc.

2

0 18

27. The weight of Newspapers, either sent or received, is not taken, neither is the number of Letters received takes because the time which would be occupied in this work would protract the delivery of the correspondence to the Public, pointed out in the 15th paragraph of the last annual report.

28 The Letters received in the Mails from the United States, San Francisco and Yokohama, by the Pacific Mail Steamers during the year 1863, number 4,923, and the Papers 10,679, whilst those sent by these vessels to Yokohama, San Francis and the United States generally, have been 11 Letters and 9,1 Papers, and the amount received by the Colony f postage on Mails despatched is, approximately, $1,311.08; the revenue on the Mails received is retained by the United States Post Unce; during 1868, 19 Mails were received and 10 Mails were despatched, whereas in 1867, only 5 Mails were dispatched and 5 received, on this account, therefore, no comparison can be made between the two years; it has however been observ that, fewer Letters and Papers are now both sent and received in the Mails by this route, "than those which were carried at the

outset.

9. The Registered Letters received from London during 1863 numbered 1,099 or 114 in excess of those received in the previous year, whilst those sent have increased by 525, the number in 1863 being 1,346, against 821 in 1807. In connexi with the security afforded by the Registration of Letters it may be useful to remark that, the Post Office fails occasionally conrey Registered Letters uninjurel, because the public themselves not unfrequently post them very badly secured, and, duri the year 1933, two notable examples have been observed, in which very thin boxes of wood, one containing a silver watch, the other a lilies bonnett, or head dress, which both escaped from the packages and were found loose in the Registered Lette bags.

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