To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury.
No. 2.
MY LORDS,
THE difficulty of exercising in a satisfactory manner the necessary control over Post Offices in the Colonies induces me to suggest, for the consideration of your Lordships, the advisability of surrendering that control, in most of the cases where it now rests with Her Majesty's Postmaster General, to the respective Colonial Governments.
At present the Postmasters in the following Colonies are under the jurisdiction of this Office, viz.: Hong Kong, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas, Windward and Leeward Islands (Barbadoes excepted), and British Guiana.
In the North American Provinces, Newfoundland, Trinidad, and Barbadoes, the control of the Posts, formerly exercised by Her Majesty's Postmaster, has already been given up.
As regards Hong Kong, it is understood that the present Governor, Sir John Bowring, will himself shortly propose that the Post Office in that Colony shall be placed under local management, and it only remains, therefore, to deal with the West India Colonies.
Should your Lordships concur in the course here suggested, perhaps you will be good enough to ascertain whether Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies sees any objection to the arrangement.
If the proposed arrangement be adopted, the Post Office in each Colony will be entitled to one penny, out of the uniform rate of sixpence, per single letter, which is now charged upon Colonial correspondence to and from the United Kingdom; and, on the other hand, each Colony will be required to bear all the expenses of its Post Office, which are now defrayed by this Department.
The prepayment of postage may still continue optional, both in the United Kingdom and in the Colonies, accounts being made out monthly, as at present, and the balance on either side being remitted, in such manner as may be determined upon.
I do not propose to disturb the existing arrangements in Malta and Gibraltar, at each of which places a Packet Agent, performing similar duties to those of a Postmaster, is stationed, because they must be considered Military Garrisons rather than Colonies, and there are obvious reasons why the Agents should remain subordinate to this Department. At Malta, more especially, the duties connected with the overland Indian Mails, and those arising from Malta being the centre of the operations of the French Mail Packets in the Mediterranean, render it absolutely necessary that the Post Office should be under the control of Her Majesty's Postmaster General.
SIR,
DOWNING STREET,
27th August, 1855.
In reply to your letter of 31 ultimo, I am directed by Secretary Sir W. Molesworth to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, that he has no objection to the proposal of the Postmaster General that the control of the Post Offices in the West Indies should be surrendered to the Colonial Governments.
Sir W. Molesworth desires me, however, to point out to their Lordships, that under the provisions of the 12th and 13th Vic. cap. 66, it will be within the legal discretion of the respective Legislatures to alter the rates of postage for the delivery of letters, not only at inland stations in each Colony, but also at the port of arrival.
The charges to be levied for the delivery of letters at inland stations in a Colony may most properly be decided by the Local Legislature; but it would appear to Sir W. Molesworth very desirable, and especially for the interests of the commercial classes, whose establishments are usually situated at the ports of arrival of the Mail Steamers, that no change should be made in the present charge of sixpence for each single rate of postage on letters arriving from England. But as it is uncertain whether the Colonial Governments will be satisfied with the charge of one penny, which, according to the proposed arrangements, would be surrendered to them upon each single rate of postage, it will be for the consideration of their Lordships whether the possible inconvenience which would arise from such a variation in the rates of postage to different Colonies affords a sufficient reason for postponing the consideration of the proposed measure, or for previous communication with the officers administering the government, in order that the views of the respective Legislatures should be ascertained before a final decision is taken.
General Post Office,
14th July, 1855.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
CANNING.
Sir C. E. Trevelyan,
&c. &c. &c.
I am, &c.,
(Signed)
T. F. ELLIOT.
251
To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury.
No. 2.
MY LORDS,
THE difficulty of exercising in a satisfactory manner the necessary control over Post Offices in the Colonies induces me to suggest, for the consideration of your Lordships, the advisability of surrendering that control, in most of the cases where it now rests with Her Majesty's Postmaster General, to the respective Colonial Governments.
At present the Postmasters in the following Colonies are under the jurisdiction of this Office, viz.: Hong Kong, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas, Windward and Leeward Islands (Barbadoes excepted), and British Guiana.
In the North American Provinces, Newfoundland, Trinidad, and Barba- does, the control of the Posts, formerly exercised by Her Majesty's Postmaster, has already been given up.
As regards Hong Kong, it is understood that the present Governor, Sir John Bowring, will himself shortly propose that the Post Office in that Colony shall be placed under local management, and it only remains, therefore, to deal with the West India Colonies.
Should your Lordships concur in the course here suggested, perhaps you will be good enough to ascertain whether Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies sees any objection to the arrangement.
If the proposed arrangement be adopted, the Post Office in each Colony will be entitled to one penny, out of the uniform rate of sixpence, per single letter, which is now charged upon Colonial correspondence to and from the United Kingdom; and, on the other hand, each Colony will be required to bear all the expenses of its Post Office, which are now defrayed by this Department.
The prepayment of postage may still continue optional, both in the United Kingdom and in the Colonies, accounts being made out monthly, as at present, and the balance on either side being remitted, in such manner as may be determined upon.
I do not propose to disturb the existing arrangements in Malta and Gibraltar, at each of which places a Packet Agent, performing similar duties to those of a Postmaster, is stationed, because they must be considered Military Garrisons rather than Colonies, and there are obvious reasons why the Agents should remain subordinate to this Department. At Malta, more especially, the duties connected with the overland Indian Mails, and those arising from Malta being the centre of the operations of the French Mail Packets in the Mediterra- nean, render it absolutely necessary that the Post Office should be under the control of Her Majesty's Postmaster General.
SIR,
DOWNING STREET,
27th August, 1855.
In reply to your letter of 31 ultimo, I am directed by Secretary
Sir W. Molesworth to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, that he has no objection to the proposal of the Postmaster General that the control of the Post Offices in the West Indies should be surrendered to the Colonial Governments.
Sir W. Molesworth desires me, however, to point out to their Lordships, that under the provisions of the 12th and 13th Vic. cap. 66, it will be within the legal discretion of the respective Legislatures to alter the rates of postage for the delivery of letters, not only at inland stations in each Colony, but also at the port of arrival.
The charges to be levied for the delivery of letters at inland stations in a Colony may most properly be decided by the Local Legislature; but it would appear to Sir W. Molesworth very desirable, and especially for the interests of the commercial classes, whose establishments are usually situated at the ports of arrival of the Mail Steamers, that no change should be made in the present charge of sixpence for each single rate of postage on letters arriving from England. But as it is uncertain whether the Colonial Governments will be satisfied with the charge of one penny, which, according to the proposed arrangements, would be surrendered to them upon each single rate of postage, it will be for the consideration of their Lordships whether the possible inconvenience which would arise from such a variation in the rates of postage to different Colonies affords a sufficient reason for postponing the consideration of the proposed measure, or for previous communication with the officers administering the government, in order that the views of the respective Legislatures should be ascertained before a final decision is taken,
General Post Office,
14th July, 1855.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
CANNING.
Sir C. E. Trevelyan,
&c. &c. &c.
I
am, &c.,
(Signed)
T. F. ELLIOT.
251
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