K
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 6TH MARCH, 1869.
KONC
Amount of Colonial Revenue in 1868,
Do.
do.
1867,
Increase in 1868, as compared with 1867;
$ 61,355.99 58,400.17
$ 2,895.82
87
19. The amount of uncollected Revenue due to the Colony at the end of 1868, was $1,663.25 in excess of that which was outstanding at the end of 1867, therefore the Colonial Revenue of 1868 is actually $4,559.07 more than that of 1867.
20. The whole revenue of 1868 being $12,418.28 in excess of the revenue of 1867, it may be fairly assumed that, to some considerable extent, the system of Marine Sorting, and the attendant acceleration in the delivery of the letters, has had some effect in checking their illicit conveyance, although it has not entirely eradicated the practice.
21. The expenditure in the year 1868, including a sum of $2,207.51, paid for the conveyance of Mails by private Ship, amounts to $31,217.21, of which $4,572 has been contributed by the Imperial Office, in aid of the charges for maintaining Post Offices at the Ports, which reduces the amount forming a charge upon the Colony to $26,645.21, or $366.26 in excess of that of 1867.
22. I append a return, marked 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 1868 amounts to £1,265.12.2 or £475.8.8 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 in 1868 was as follows, viz. :—
BY BRITISH PACKET.
BY FRENCH PACKET.
Letters.
Papers and Prices Current.
Letters.
Papers and Prices Current.
In 1868,
.203,580
In 1867,
.164,761
Excess in 1868, .. 38,819
161,173 145,597
15,576
In 1868,
9,093
2,148
In 1867,
10,597
4,428
Excess in 1867,
1,504
2,280
25. The weight of Letters sent to the United Kingdom in 1868, is as follows:-
PER BRITISH PACKET.
Ton. cnt. qrs. lbs. 02.
Via Southampton,.
18
1
2
Viâ Marseilles,
.1
18
2
Total,
10
3
3
12
PER FRENCH PACKET. cwt. grs. lbs.
02.
2
3 25
3
26. The weight of Letters received from the United Kingdom in 1868, is as follows:-
PER BRITISH PACKET.
Viâ Southampton,
Viâ Marseilles,
Total,.
Ton. cnt. grs. lbs.
02.
.1
3
1
4
12
7
.2
9
9
PER FRENCH РАСКЕТ. cwt.
grs. lbs.
Oz.
2
18
21
27. The weight of Newspapers, either sent or received, is not taken, neither is the number of Letters received taken, because the time which would be occupied in this work would protract the delivery of the correspondence to the Public, as 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 4,988, and the Papers 10,679; whilst those sent by these vessels to Yokohama, San Francisco and the United States generally, have been 11,266 Letters and 9,224 Papers, and the amount received by the Colony for postage on Mails despatched is, approximately, $1,311.08; the revenue on the Mails received is retained by the United States Post Office; during 1868, 10 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 observed 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.
29. The Registered Letters received from London during 1868 numbered 1,099 or 114 in excess of those received in the previous year, whilst those sent have increased by 525, the mumbor in 1868 being 1,346, against 821 in 1867. In connexion with the security afforded by the Registration of Letters it may be useful to remark that, the Post Office fails occasionally to convey Registered Letters uninjured, because the public themselves not unfrequently post them very badly secured, and, during the year 1868, two notable examples have been observed, in which very thin boxes of wood, one containing a silver watch, and the other a ladies bonnett, or head dress, which both escaped from the packages and were found loose in the Registered Letter bags.
30. The number of Mails received by private Ships during 1868 is 1,102, against 1,179 in 1867, whilst those despatched shew a decrease of 475 in 1868 as compareil with 1867, the numbers being, in 1867, 1,747, and in 1868, 1,272.
31. The number of Letters on official business sent from the Department to the Public, the Agents at the Ports and the various Public Offices, during the year 1868 has increased by 365, the number in 1887 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, marked 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 lost, in the transmission of the Mails viâ Southampton, and 7 days were lost, and 23 gained, in the transmission of those via 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, viå Marseilles was 39 days, against 38 days in 1867.
33. I append a return, marked D. cf the dates of arrival and departure of the French Packets in the year 1868, by which it will be seen that the shortest time occupied in conveying a Mail from London to Hongkong in 1868 was 38 days, against 39 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 at Hongkong during the year 1868.
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