33

rates mentioned in Lord Canning's said com-
munication.
I am, &c., &c.,
JAMES WILSON,
H. Merivale, Esq.

Copy.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS
COMMISSIONERS OF HER MAJESTY'S TREA-
SURY.

My Lords, -

1. In submitting to the Treasury the
   general scheme for a reduction of postage
   upon letters between the United Kingdom
   and the British Colonies (which under the au-
   thority of your Lordships I am about to carry
   partially into effect), my predecessor, in his
   letter dated the 27th April, 1852, proposed,
   as a part of the measure, that a reduction to
   the extent of one half should be made in the
   gratuities and allowances paid to the Masters
   of Vessels, the Officers of Customs, Boatmen,
   and others, on account of their services, in
   conveying, landing, and otherwise facilitating
   the delivery to the Post Office of Ship Letter
   Mails.

2. Referring to the above communica'tion,
   I now submit for your Lordships' considera-
   tion and approval, an arrangement respecting
   those Colonies to which the scheme for the
   reduction of postage is about to be applied,
   or to which it may hereafter be extended.

3. Your Lordships are aware, that in ac-
   cordance with one part of the plan, the sea
   postage on letters conveyed by private ships
   will (when the postal direction of the Colony
   is under our control) be equally divided be-
   tween the Colony and the mother country-
   just as in the case of Packet Postage. It is
   fair, therefore, that the expenses also con-
   nected with the conveyance of letters by pri-
   vate ships should be equally divided; which
   is not at present the case; the Colonial Gra-
   tuities to the Masters of private ships being,
   I believe, on an average (for they are varia-
   ble) not more than about half the British
   Gratuities.

4. With regard to those Colonies of which
   we have the postal direction, I do not propose
   to make any change in the gratuities, but
   with respect to all other Colonies to which the
   plan for the reduction of postage may be ap-
   plied, I recommend, as proposed by my pre-
   decessor, that the British Gratuities should
   be reduced by one-half; and I further recom-
   mend that so far as relates to the gratuities
   to the Masters (which are those of most im-
   portance) the Secretary of State for the Colo-
   nies be requested to use his influence with the
   Governments of those Colonies to give the
   same gratuities as those which I propose that
   we should now grant.

5. If the Colonial Governments should
   concur in this, the gratuity on each letter to
   the Master of a private ship bound to any
   Colony having its own postal arrangements,
   which is at present about threepence on an
   average (viz. twopence paid in this country,
   and one penny in the Colony), would be two
   pence, viz. one penny at each end of the
   voyage, and the gratuity to the Master of a
   private ship bound to any Colony of which
   we have the postal direction would be the
   same, with this difference: that the whole of
   the gratuity would be paid in this country,
   instead of a penny being paid here and a
   penny in the Colony.

6. As the reduction of Postage will no
   doubt be followed by an increase in the num-
   ber of letters, while such increase will add
   little or nothing to the trouble of the Cap-
   tains, Pilots, and other recipients of the gra-
   tuities, the remuneration, under the arrange-
   ments which I propose, will probably in a
   short time be as great as at present if not
   greater.

7. If your Lordships should concur in my
   proposal, the gratuities to be paid by this
   Department on letters and newspapers be-
   tween the United Kingdom and the Colonies
   to which the plan of a reduced rate of postage
   may be applied, will be as follows:-

8. To the Master of a private Ship for
   the conveyance of Mails to or from
   this country, one penny per letter
   and a halfpenny per newspaper.

9. To Pilots and Boatmen for bringing
   ashore Mails from homeward bound
   Ships in the British Channel a half-
   penny for each letter.

10. To the Custom House Officers for send-
    ing to the Post Office letters landed
    at Gravesend from private Ships
    arriving from abroad, three far-
    things for each letter.

Any other a lowances made by this
Department in respect of the delivery to the
Post Office of ship letters will be reduced in
the same p oportion viz, to one-half.

I have, &c.,

(Singed) CANNING.

NOTICE TO POSTMASTERS.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland,
27th February, 1855.

WITH reference to the 5th clause of the
Postmaster-General's letter published
above, His Excellency the Officer adminster-
ing the Government directs that on and
after the 1st of June, 1855, all Postmasters
in the Colony receiving Mails direct from, or
despatching them direct to, the United King-
dom by private vessel, shall pay to the Master
of such vessel 1d. for each and every letter so
received or despatched.

By His Excellency's command,
ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.

ERRATUM.

IN the last line of the description of the
boundaries of the Kaipara District under
the "Marriage Act, 1854," published in the
Gazette of November 8, 1854, for "Wan-
garoa" read "Wangarie."