716018-1864-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION-NO-15 — Page 1

MON

OIT

THE HONGKONG

Government Gazette.

Published by Authority.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 23RD JANUARY, 1864.

VOL. X.

No. 4.

No. 14.

W. T. MERCER.

PROCLAMATION.

By His Excellency WILLIAM THOMAS MERCER, Esquire, Acting Governor and Commander-in- Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same.

Whereas by the Order of Her Majesty in Council dated the 9th day of January 1863, a Proclamation was approved for the Regulation of the Currency in this Colony wherein it was (amongst other things) declared and ordained that certain matters in the said Proclamation contained should take effect and come into force from and after a day to be fixed by the Governor or Officer administering the Govern- ment, as by the said Proclamation reference being thereunto had will more fully appear; and whereas the said Proclamation was published in this Colony in the Government Gazette of the 2nd day of May, 1863: Now, therefore, I, WILLIAM THOMAS MERCER, Esquire, being the Officer administering the Government of the Colony, do hereby fix the 16th day of February now next ensuing as the day from and after which the matters contained in the Proclamation aforesaid shall take effect and come into force within the Colony of Hongkong.

By His Excellency's Command,

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

Given at Victoria, Hongkong, this 22nd Day of January, 1864.

No. 15.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

W. H. ALEXANDER, Acting Colonial Secretary.

With reference to the Government Notification No. 125 of 29th November 1862, and to the Post Office Notification of 15th August 1863, the Public are hereby informed that on and after the 16th of February next the use of the Hongkong Postage Stamps on Correspondence posted at the General Post Office here will no longer be optional, but compulsory.

2. The fifth clause therefore in the abovementioned Government Notification will be annulled from 16th Proximo, except as to the Agencies of the Hongkong General Post Office at Canton, Macao, Swatow, Amoy, Foo-chow-foo, Shanghae, Ningpo, Nagazaki, and Yedo.

3. The Postage Stamps are of the following value :-

Two Cents,.

Four Cents,

Six Cents,

Eight Cents...

Twelve Cents,

Eighteen Cents,.

Twenty-four Cents,

Thirty Cents,

..or One Penny.

Two Pence. ..Three Pence.

Four Pence. .Six Pence.

Nine Pence. Twelve Pence.

Fifteen Pence.

Forty-eight Cents,.........Two Shillings.

Ninety-six Cents,.......... Four Shillings.

4. As it will take some time to make this regulation generally known, and it may consequently be expected that many letters will be posted insufficiently stamped, clause 7 of the Government Notification above referred to is also annulled, and for the future insufficiently stamped letters addressed to the United Kingdom will be forwarded, a fine of One Shilling being charged in addition to the Postage due upon all such letters.