Sessional_Paper_1884 — Page 69

No. 122.

Correspondence respecting the Postal Service.

Presented to the Legislative Council by command of H. E. the Governor.

The Governor to the Secretary of State.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 26th June, 1883.

*Already printed.

MY LORD,

In continuation of my despatch No. 76 of the 21st May ultimo, concerning the question raised in your Lordship's Despatch No. 18 of the 18th January ultimo, respecting the claim made on this Colony on account of certain losses on the Postal contract in force, I have now the honour to transmit the report* of the Treasurer and Postmaster General (the Honourable A. LISTER); to which is appended a Report from the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce.

2. This question has been carefully considered by the Executive Council and by the Financial Committee of the Legislative Council, which, it will be remem- bered, is a Committee of the whole Council, so that its reports are practically equivalent to votes of the Colonial Legislature. I append the resolutions of these bodies on the subject; and I strongly recommend them to the favourable con- sideration of Her Majesty's Government.

“(5.) Read:-Secretary of State's Despatch No. 18 of the 18th January last, together with its enclosures, on the subject of a proposal that this Colony should contribute a larger sum to make good the loss caused to the Imperial Government by the Postal contract now in force.

Read also:-The Postmaster General's report thereon, dated the 12th April last.

Read also: A resolution of the Executive Council on the subject, dated the 20th instant.

The Committee concur in this resolution, which is as follows:-

(a.) That the Secretary of State be asked to reconsider the question of a further Postal Contribution from the Revenue of this Colony.

(b.) That the Colony is prepared to pay a fixed total annual sum of £4,000 from February 1st, 1880, towards the loss of the Imperial Government on the mail Contract, it being clearly understood that the former fluctuating payment of about £3,000 a year is to cease from the above date.

(c.) That the attention of the Secretary of State be especially called to the fact that the above proposed payment will absorb the whole annual profit on working the Post Office, which profit is mainly derived from local postage and is unconnected with any subsi- dised mail line.".