715466-1865-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION-NO-147 — Page 1

SOIT

QUI

DIE

MON

EORGIT

THE HONGKONG

Government Gazette.

Published by Authority.

No. 39.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1865.

VOL. XI.

No. 147.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Circular Despatch from the Right Honorable The SECRETARY OF STATE For the COLONIES, relating to an increase in the rate of Packet Postage on Letters conveyed between certain of the Colonies and other places abroad, is published for general information.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 27th September, 1865.

W. H. ALEXANDER, Acting Colonial Secretary.

CIRCULAR.

DOWNING STREET, 13th July, 1865.

SIR,I have the honor to transmit to you, for your information and guidance, the enclosed Copy of a Letter from the General Post Office, accompanied by a Treasury Warrant increasing from fourpence to tenpence the single rate of packet postage on letters conveyed between certain of the Colonies and other places abroad, and thus making the total postage one shilling the half ounce, instead of sixpence as at present. You will find the reasons for this change stated in the letter from the General Post Office.I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,

The Officer Administering the Government of IIongkong.

EDWARD CARDWELL.

Mr. Hill to Sir F. Rogers.

General Post Office, 7th July, 1865. SIR,-In September 1855 a Treasury Warrant was issued, reducing from 1s. to 4d. the sea rate of postage on a letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, carried by packet between any two British Colonies or between any British Colony and any Foreign Port at which a British Packet might touch, such letters, of course, in no case passing through the United Kingdom; and this rate is still considered sufficient for the sea postage upon letters carried from port to port in the West Indies, or from port to port in the East Indies, &c.; but the Postmaster-General is of opinion that it is quite insufficient for letters carried over long distances by sea, such, for instance, as letters between the Cape of Good Hope, and India, China, or Australia, forwarded via Mauritius, or between India and Australia forwarded viâ Point de Galle. In both these instances the letters are carried by more than one line of Packets, and the low rate of 4d. is insufficient to cover the cost of their transport.

Independently of the long distance over which these letters are carried, as above stated, there are two other circumstances which in the opinion of the Postmaster-General make it necessary to increase the sea postage.

1stly. This Office has engaged to pay the Union Steam Ship Company half the sea postage on letters carried by their packets from the Cape to Mauritius, and consequently, if the rate be left at 4d., 2d. only will remain for the expense of conveying a letter by Packet from Mauritius to Aden, and thence to Sydney, a distance of nearly 10,000 miles, or to Hongkong, a distance of more than 7,000 miles.

2ndly. Since the establishment of the French Packets of the Indo-China and Mauritius Lines, occasions frequently happen in which a mail from one Colony for another Colony is carried by a British Packet as far as Aden, Point de Galle, or Mauritius, the three points of junction, and arriving there intermediately between the departure of two British Packets, but just in time for a French Packet (whose periods of sailing are fitted to these intermediate times), is sent on by such French Packet. In these cases payment for the sea conveyance at the rate of about 1s. an ounce, has to be made to France, absorbing, at the present rate of charge, the whole of the sea postage, although a portion, and often the larger portion, of the sea conveyance has been performed by British Packet.

Under these circumstances Lord Stanley of Alderley has thought it necessary to bring the matter under the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, who, concurring with his Lordship in opinion that the postage for letters conveyed over long distances ought to be raised, have been pleased by their Warrant, dated the 1st instant (copies enclosed), to increase from 4d. to 10d., the single rate of packet postage on all letters forwarded between the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. Helena, Ascension,

or Mauritius, on the one side, and India, China, or Australia on the other side, as well as on letters between Australia and India or China. This sea rate of 10d., added to the Colonial inland rate of 1d. charged by the despatching and receiving Colonies respectively, will make the total postage 1s. the half-ounce, instead of 6d, as at present.

482

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 30ти SEPTEMBER, 1865.

The present sea rate of 4d. charged on letters sent intermediately between any two Ports in India, or between India and Ceylon, or between Hongkong and Penang or Singapore, will remain unaltered.

I have to beg that you will move Mr. Secretary Cardwell to communicate to the Officers administering the Governments of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. Helena, Mauritius, Hongkong, and of the several Australian Colonies, the uiteration which has been determined on in the rates of postage on letters sent by Packet direct between India and Australia, China, Mauritius, the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, and St. Helena, requesting them to give the necessary instructions for the collection by the Colonial Post Office of the increased rates of postage, commencing on the 1st September next. I am &c.,

Sir Frederick Rogers, Bart.,

&'c.,

&c. Colonial Office.

se.,

TREASURY WARRANT.

Whereas by an Act passed in the fourth year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act for the regulation of the duties of postage," it is enacted that it shall be lawful for the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, from time to time, and at any time after the passing of that Act, by Warrant under their hands, to alter and fix any of the rates of British postage or inland postage payable by law on the transmission by the post of foreign or colonial letters or newspapers, or of any other printed papers, and to subject. the same to rates of postage according to the weight thereof and a scale of weight to be contained in such Warrant.

And whereas further powers are given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury by another Act of Parliament passed in the eleventh year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act for giving further facilities for. the transmission of letters by post, and for the regulating the duties of postage thereon, and for other purposes relating to the Post Office."

And whereas, by a certain Warrant of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, bearing date the 19th day of September, 1855, certain rates of packet postage were fixed and made chargeable and payable upon letters transmitted by the post direct by British packet boat between any ports in the British colonies or between any ports in the British colonies and any foreign port (not in any such cases passing through the United Kingdom), and it is expedient to alter certain of the said rates on certain letters transmitted as hereinafter mentioned, and to fix certain other rates in lieu thereof as are hereinafter contained.

Now we, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, in exercise of the powers vested in us in and by the said recited Acts, and each of them, and of all other powers enabling us in this behalf, do, by this Warrant (under the hands of two of us the said Commissioners, by the authority of the statute in that case made and provided) order and direct as follows:-

1. That on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight transmitted by the post direct by British packet boat, or partly by British packet boat and partly by French packet boat, between any port in the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Saint Helena, Ascension, or the Mauritius, and any port in the East Indies, China, or Australia, or between any port in Australia, and any port in the East Indies or China (not i any such cases passing through the United Kingdom), there shall be charged and taken a packet rate of postage of ten

pence.

2. That on every letter, transmitted as is mentioned in this Warrant, excceding half an ounce in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, progressive and additional rates of postage as follows (that is to say):

On every such letter exceeding half an ounce in weight and not exceeding one ounce in weight, two rates of postage;

On every such letter exceeding one ounce and not exceeding one ounce and the half of another ounce in weight, three rates of postage;

(Signed) F. HILL.

On every such letter exceeding one ounce and the half of another ounce and not exceeding two ounces in weight, four rates of postage;

And for every half of an ounce in weight above the weight of two ounces, there shall be charged and taken one additional rate of postage, and every fraction of half an ounce above the weight of two ounces shall be charged as one additional half of an ounce, and each progressive and additional rate chargeable under this elanse shall be estimated and charged at the sum which any such letter would be charged with under this Warrant if not exceeding half an ounce in weight. 3. That the rates of postage chargeable on such letters as aforesaid, for the sea conveyance thereof, shall be charged in addition to any inland colonial rates that may be payable

thereon.

4. That nothing in this Warrant contained shall in anywise alter, prejudice, or affect the exemptions and privileges granted by the said recited Act, passed in the fourth year of the reign of Her present Majesty, nor in anywise prejudice or affect the previlege which officers, seamen, and soldiers employed in Her Majesty's service now by law enjoy of sending and re- ceiving letters by the post, subject to the regulations and restrictions in respect of the same.

5. That the term "East Indies," used in this Warrant, shall be construed to mean every port in Her Majesty's domi- nions in Asia (China, the Mauritius, Java, Borneo, and Australia excepted), and the several other terms and expres sions used in this Warrant shall be construed to have the like meaning in all respects as they would have had if inserted in the said Act passed in the fourth year of the reign of Her present Majesty.

6. That so much of the said recited Warrant of the 19th day of September, 1855, as relates to or affects letters trans- mitted by the post direct by British packet boat between any port in the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Saint Helena, Ascension, or the Mauritius, and any port in the East Indies, China, or Australia, or between any port in Australia and any port in the East Indies or China (not in any such cases passing through the United Kingdom) is hereby repealed. .

7. That this Warrant shall come into operation on the first day of September, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five. 8. That it shall be lawful for the Commissioners for the time being of Her Majesty's Treasury, or any two of them, by Warrant under their hands, at my time hereafter, to alter or repeal any of the rates hereby altered, or the regulations hereby made, and to make and establish any new or other rates or regulations in lieu thereof, and from time to time to appoint at what time the rates that may be payable are to be paid.

Whitehall, Treasury-chambers, the first day of June, one

thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.

Luke White. W. P. Adam.

No. 148.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Regulations for an Examination of Candidates for the Civil Service of India to be held in London in the Month of March, 1866, are published for general information.

By Order,

W. H. ALEXANDER,

Acting Colonial Secretury.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 27th September, 1865.