1876 — Page 194

No. 69.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Annual Report for 1876, received from the Postmaster General, is published for eneral information.

By Command,

H. E. WODEHOUSE, Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 24th March, 1877.

GENERAL POST OFFICE,

HONGKONG, March 23rd, 1877.

Sm, I have the honour to report on the British Postal Service in China and Japan during 1876. 2. The past year has witnessed preparation for, and in some cases the completion of important changes, chiefly the entrance of this Colony into the General Postal Union, and the voting of an annual contribution of £3,150 from Postal Revenue towards the conveyance of Mails. But, with the exception of some minor details, the Union arrangements are not as yet complete. They will com-. mence on April 1st.

3. Letter and newspaper postage to the United Kingdom via Brindisi and Marseilles have been cach reduced by one penny, and a sixpenny tariff by the American route has been introduced.

4. The charges on local letters (that is to say on those exchanged between British Offices in China and Japan, and to or from Cochin China, Siam, or the Philippines) have been reduced by one half, whilst Canton and Macao have been admitted into the system of penny postage in force in Victoria. The Macao Post Office has consented to deliver local correspondence free.

Some years ago

a letter from Swatow to Macao would have cost 8d, besides a charge on delivery. It is now delivered free for 2d.

5. An Honorary Agency has been opened at the new port Kiung Chow in Hainan, through the kiml assistance of successive Vice-Consuls, Messrs. FORD and HARVEY. Though the amount of Postal business is small, the Agency has been a convenience to the residents, and the gentlemen who have carried it on are entitled to the thanks of all interested in the trade. An overland courier was at first atched monthly from Canton, and was courteously placed at the disposal of this Office by E. BREDON, Esq., the Commissioner of Customs. But as communication by sea proved to be not infrequent the courier was discontinued.

6. H. B. M. Vice-Consul at Tamsui was good enough to propose a similar Honorary Agency at that place, but considerations of a general nature, affecting the whole of the smaller Treaty Ports, have intervened to delay the acceptance of this offer.

7. Facilities for the Registration of correspondence to and from Bangkok have been established, through the cooperation of H. M. Consul General at that Port.

8. A mail sent by British steamer to Bangkok was delayed two months, in consequence of the Master's omission to land it. This vexatious circumstance led to an enquiry into the state of the law to the delivery and reception of Mails at Consular Ports, which was found to be complicated and salisfactory. The whole question has been referred to the Home Government.

9. It is matter of regret that circumstances have again prevented an Inspection of the lordinate Post Offices and Agencies, which, however, it is hoped to undertake early in the present

year.

10. On the 19th July the Occidental and Oriental Company's steun-ship Gaelic arrived here without any Mail from the United States, the Company having refused to carry U. S. Mails without a subsidy, and since that date these Mails have arrived monthly by the Pacific Mail Packets instead of

• The 0. & 0. Company resumed carrying the Mails with the year 1877,