298
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 20TH AUGUST, 1864.
POST OFFICE NOTIFICATION.
PATTERN POST TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.
With reference to Government Notification No. 130 dated the 12th instant, it is hereby notified that on and after the date hereof Patterns of Merchandize may be transmitted by Post from Hongkong to any part of the United Kingdom, at the following rates of postage, which must in all cases be prepaid by means of Postage Stamps of Hongkong.
Via Southampton. FOR A PACKET OF PATTERNS
Above lb. and not exceeding
Not exceeding 4.02.
8 cents.
Above 4 oz, and not exceeding 1lb. 16 cents.
1lb.
32 cents.
Above 1lb. and not exceeding
1lbs.
Above 1lbs. and not exceeding 2lbs.
48 cents.
64 cents.
Every additional
lb.
16 cents.
Via Marseilles,
FOR A PACKET OF PATTERNS
Not exceeding 4 oz.
Above 4 oz., and not exceeding $10.
Above 4lb. and
not exceeding 1lb.
24 cents.
48 cents.
12 cents.
Above 1lb. and not exceeding 1lbs.
72 cents.
Above 1lbs. and not exceeding
2168.
96 cents.
Every additional lb.
*---
24 cents.
Special attention is directed to the following rules and regulations which will be strictly enforced :-
1st. No Packet of Patterns must exceed two feet in length, breadth or width; exceeding those dimensions it cannot
be forwarded through the Post.
2nd. The Patterns must not be of intrinsic value. This rule excludes all articles of a saleable nature, and indeed,
whatever may have a value of its own, apart from its mere use as a pattern; and the quantity of any material sent ostensibly as a pattern must not be so great that it can fairly be considered as having on this ground an
intrinsic value.
3rd. There must be no writing or marks other than the address of the person for whom the packet is intended, a trade mark and numbers, and prices of the articles; otherwise the Packet will be detained or forwarded charged as an unpaid letter.
4th. The Patterns must be sent in covers open at the ends, so as to be easy of examination. Samples however, of seeds, drugs, and so forth, which cannot be sent in open covers, may be inclosed in bags of linen or other material, tied at the neck; bags so closed that they cannot readily be opened, even although they be transparent, must not be used for this purpose. Non-compliance with this rule will also subject the packet to be detained or forwarded as an unpaid letter.
5th. The Packets or the contents thereof must not contain any inclosure, sealed or otherwise closed against inspection. 6th. Insufficiently stamped Packets will be sent on charged with the amount of deficient postage, and a fine of one rate of postage, Packets wholly unstamped will be charged double the amount of postage to which they would have been liable if the postage had been prepaid.
7th. Packets of patterns not posted according to the foregoing regulations will be treated in all respects as letters. 8th. In all other respects the general regulations of the Book Post between Hongkong and the United Kingdom will apply to the Pattern Post. Under these regulations, in order to prevent any interruption to the regular trans- mission of letters, a Packet of Patterns may, when it is necessary, be kept back for 24 hours beyond the time when, in the ordinary course, it would be forwarded.
9th. The decision of the Postmaster General as to the eligibility of any Packet, pattern, or sample contained therein,
to be forwarded under these regulations will be final and conclusive.
The rule which forbids the transmission through the Post of any article likely to injure the contents of the Mail Bags or Boxes, or the person of any Officer of the Post Office is, of course, applicable to the Pattern Post; and a packet containing anything of the kind will be stopped, and not sent to its destination. Articles such as the following have been occasionally posted as Patterns in the United Kingdom and have been detained as unfit for the post, viz.: metal boxes, porcelain and China, fruit, vegetables, bunches of flowers, cuttings of plants, spurs, knives, scissors, needles, pins, pieces of machinery, sharp pointed instruments, samples of metals, samples of ore, samples in glass bottles, pieces of glass, acids of various kinds, curry combs, copper and steel engraving plates, and confectionery of all kinds.
It must be understood that the foregoing arrangement is confined to Packets of Patterns forwarded from Hongkong to the United Kingdom and does not apply to such packets if they are posted out of the Colony.
The first day of August instant has been fixed for bringing this new measure into operation in the United Kingdom.
General Post Office, Hongkong, 16th August, 1864.
F. W. MITCHELL, Postmaster General.
WEATHER TABLES FOR THE PAST WEEK. REGISTER AT HARBOUR MASTER'S OFFICE, QUEEN'S ROAD.
6 A.M.
NOON.
1864.
Barometer.
Thermometer. Barometer. Thermometer. Barometer.
6 P.M.
Thermometer.
August
13,
29.60
81
>"
14,
29.70
80
15,
29.71
,,
16,
29.76
80
""
""
17,
29.86
81
18,
29.84
""
19,
29.82
7828588
29.53
80
29.62
29.73
79
29.73
79
29.70
80
29.70
29.79
82
29.82
29.84
84
29.83
29.84
84
29.80
29.84
84
29.82
*******
79
82
82
83
83
83
"}
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