688114-1878-Local-Delivery---Local-Parcel-Post- — Page 1

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No. 65.

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 6TH APRIL, 1878.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

His Excellency the Governor having granted Four months vacation leave and Twelve months leave of absence on half-salary to H. G. THOMSETT, Esquire, R.N., His Excellency is pleased to make the following temporary appointment, to date from the 7th instant,-

J. P. McEUEN, Esquire, R.N., to be Acting Harbour Master and Marine Magistrate.

By Command,

J. M. PRICE,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 5th April, 1878.

Acting Colonial Secretary.

No. 66.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

His Excellency the Governor is pleased to make the following Regulations under Section XII of the Post Office Ordinance, 1876, for facilitating the Local Delivery of correspondence, and for establishing a Local Parcel Post.

By Command,

J. M. PRICE, Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 5th April, 1878.

Local Delivery.

1. All correspondence posted before 5 P.M. on any week day for addresses in Victoria will be delivered the same day, and generally within two hours, unless the delivery should be retarded by the Contract Mails.

2. Invitations, &c., can generally be delivered within Victoria at the private houses of the addressees rather than at places of business, if a wish to that effect be expressed by the sender, otherwise all cor- respondence is invariably delivered at the nearest place of business. (See Postal Guide, par. 103.)

3. Boxholders who desire to send Circulars, Dividend Warrants, Invitations, Cards, &c., all of the same weight, to addresses in Hongkong, Bangkok, or the Ports of China and Japan, may deliver them Each batch to the Post Office unstamped, the postage being then charged to the sender's account. must consist of at least ten.

4. Boxholders may also send Patterns to the same places in the same way. Envelopes contain- ing Patterns may be wholly closed if the nature of the contents be first exhibited or stated to the Postmaster General, as he may consider necessary, and approved by him. Printed Circulars may be

inserted in such Pattern Packets.

Local Parcel Post.

1. Small Parcels may be sent by Post between any of the British Post Offices in China or Japan, as well as to Macao, Pakhoi, Haifong, Singapore, Penang, and Malacca. They must not exceed the following dimensions, 2 feet long, 1 foot broad, 1 foot deep, nor weigh more than 5lbs. The postage will be 20 cents per lb., which will include Registration. The parcels may be wholly closed if they bear this special endorsement, PARCEL, CONTAINING NO LETTER, but any parcel may be opened by direction of the Postmaster General.

2. The following cannot be transmitted: Parcels insufficiently packed or protected, or liable to be crushed (as bandboxes, &c.) Glass, Liquids, Explosive substances, Matches, Indigo, Dyestuffs, Ice, Meat, Fish, Game, Fruit, Vegetables, or whatever is dangerous to the Mails, or likely to become offensive or injurious in transit.

3. Parcels will as a general rule be forwarded by Private Ship, not by Contract Mail Packet. The Post Office reserves the right of selecting the opportunity for transmission, and of delaying delivery in case the number of parcels is such as to retard other correspondence. No responsibility is accepted with regard to any parcel, but the system of Registration will secure the senders against any but a very remote probability of loss.

4. The public are cautioned not to confound these facilities with a Parcel Post to Europe, &c., which does not exist.