{
37. There are two lines of steamers in existence between Hongkong and Foochow each calling at Swatow and Amoy on both their up and down trips, one belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and the other to Messieurs Douglas Lapraik and Company; the former, run at somewhat irregular intervals and the latter very regularly.
38. The estimated distance from Hongkong to Swatow is 180 miles; from Swatow to Amoy 120 miles, and from Amoy to l'agoda Anchorage 175 miles.
say
2 P.M.
39. The voyages are at present generally made thus: the steamers leave Hongkong at and arrive at Swatow at about 8 A.M. the next morning, leaving Swatow for Amoy at 5 P.M. and reaching that port at 5 A.M. the next morning, they then leave Amoy for Foochow (Pagoda Anchorage) at 3 r.. and reach there at 9 A.M. the next morning, giving a steaming time of about 48 hours, and 19 hours in port at Swatow and Amoy.
40. The vessels generally remain at Foochow 3 or sometimes 4 days, and return to Hongkong in about the same time as that occupied in the upward voyage, generally arriving back in Hongkong on the 9th or 10th day after having left here, and they usually remain for 5 or 6 days discharging and loading for the return trip.
41. The prompt transmission from Hongkong to Foochow of the Mails from home is not of the same importance as the regular dispatch of Mails from Foochow to Hongkong, whilst to the steamer owners it is most important to have a liberal allowance of time at Hongkong after the arrival of the English Mail, and the time of departure from Foochow is not usually of much importance as the cargo carried from Foochow to Hongkong is insignificant when compared with that carried in the contrary
direction.
42. Under these circumstances, therefore, the payment of any subsidy would really be for the privilege of despatching the steamers from Foochow at times convenient to the Mail services and to the requirements of the foreign merchants. At present, the vessels of Messrs. Lapraik and Co. notedly arrive and depart at intervals of about the same extent as would be required of them for the Mail service, but the owners, of course, now hasten or delay their departure as best for their own interests, the Chinese being large shippers, as I understand, the arrival and departure of English Mails is not
of much moment to them.
43. The arrangement I have suggested is that an offer be made to the owners of one or other or both the lines of steamers to give then half of the revenue derived from the local correspondence carried to and fro, conditionally upon all letters, being duly handed over to the Post Office Agents at each of the Ports touched at, with a penalty of $20 for each letter otherwise conveyed save and except (such as are exempt by Law,) viz, the letters of the owners or of the consignees of on board the vessel.
cargo
then
44. Such an arrangement would, I am satisfied, materially increase the Colonial revenue, experience having fully convinced ine on a recent journey from Foochow that immense numbers of letters are systematically carried in Lapraik's vessels and handed over to the steamer's Agents at each of the ports named, and, I believe, that many are almost as regularly brought here in the same manner and delivered by the Agents to the persons to whom they are addressed.
45. As the payment suggested would not be sufficient to induce the owners of the steamers to accede to the above proposal, the Imperial Post Office should be called upon to contribute a further sum, in addition to the proposed payment from local funds, towards the maintenance, as suggested, of a The more especially so as regular communication with Foochow in connexion with the Mail steamers. the greater part of the correspondence to be forwarded to and from Foochow would consist of letters upon which the Imperial Post Office receives a large proportion of the postage.
46. The bulk of the Mails will be a matter of little or no consideration, as the Mail for Swatow seldom exceeds one bag, and those for Amoy and Foochow seldom exceed three bags cach.
47. The terms of any Contract should be assimilated, I think, where possible, to those contained
in the Contract made between the Postmaster General of Great Britain and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the 19th November, 1867.
48. These suggestions are thrown out with a careful regard to all legitimate interests and the ever-growing wants of the public.
49. During the year the Money Order drawn upon the United Kingdom have been as follows,
viz. :-
No. of Money Orders drawn.
Place.
Ĺmount.
Commission which accrued to the Colony.
£
J.
$
eta.
1,800 408
Hongkong, Shanghue,
6,354
10
120
03
1,884
13
32
84
306
Yokohama,
1,807
8
D
30
98
Total,....2,088
£0,906
+
10
$193
45
No. 40.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
339
The following Report from the Acting Captain Superintendent of Police for the Year 1869, is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 11th April, 1870.
No. 68.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary,
VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 30th March, 1870.
Sir, I have the honor to submit the crime Return called for in C.S.O. No. 609 of 1st December, 1869.
t
2. I also enclose the annual Report of this Department, with Appendices, for the year ending 31st December, 1869, and a comparative statement of offences reported to have been committed dur ing the six months ending 31st December, 1865, and the six months ending 31st December, 1869; which was called for by His Excellency the Governor. From the latter it will be seen that not only have serious offences decreased 51.0 per cent and minor offences 45.6 during these four years, but the working of the Police as tested by the percentages of persons convicted and discharged has greatly improved.
3. During the present year the telegraph line has been commenced, the Gap and West-Point circuits are already finished, and, before many days Captain Shaw expects to have the Shan'-ki-wan line complete.
4. The scheme which I proposed for the classification of the Chinese contingent came into force on the 1st instant. Besides resulting in a considerable saving to Government, the prospect of promo- tion, which did not before exist, will, I think, improve the working of the men.
5. Since the beginning of the year, I have increased the duty of men at outstations from 6 to 8 hours daily. During the Chinese New-Year the men in Victoria cheerfully performed eight hours work, and for 14 days two-thirds of the whole force was out from 10 P.M. until 6 A.M.; but the regular duty of men at head-quarters, who have Drill, School, Police Court, Fire Brigade inspections, &c., to attend, cannot be permanently increased.
The Honorable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary,
fo., &c., $e.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
C. VANDELEUR CREAGH, Acting Captain Superintendent,
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