THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 365

ley 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 fourpence to tenpence,
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 tenpence, added to the
Colonial inland rate of one penny, charged by the
despatching and receiving Colonies respectively, will
make the total postage one shilling the half-ounce,
instead of sixpence, as at present.

The present sea rate of fourpence charged on
letters sent intermediately between any two ports in
India, or between India and Ceylon, or between
Hong Kong and Penang or Singapore, will remain
unaltered.

I have to beg that you will move Mr. Secretary
Cardwell to communicate to the Officers administer-
ing the Governments of the Cape of Good Hope,
Natal, St. Helena, Mauritius, Hong Kong, and of the
several Australian Colonies, the alteration 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.,
F. HILL.

Sir Frederick Rogers, Bart., &c.,
Colonial Office.

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 Com-
missioners 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 Commis-
sioners 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 port 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, St. Helena, Ascen-
   sion, 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), there shall be charged and taken a packet
   rate of postage of tenpence.

2. That on every letter transmitted as is mentioned
   in this warrant, exceeding 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;

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 clause
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 privilege which
   officers, seamen, and soldiers employed in Her
   Majesty's service now by law enjoy of sending and
   receiving 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 dominions in Asia (China, the Mauri-
   tius, Java, Borneo, and Australia excepted), and the
   several other terms and expressions 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 transmitted by the post direct by
   British packet boat between any port in the Cape of
   Good Hope, Natal, St. 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