POST OFFICE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 468, 29 April 1857, Page 4

POST OFFICE.

The following proclamation is published in the Grenerf4 Government Gazette of 27., Colonial Secretary's Office, , March 27th, 1857. In conformity with arrangem.en.ts made with the Impei ial Government, by authority of the General Assembly the .following chargers will, be made, at the several' General Government Post Offices in New Zealand after the receipt thereat respectively of a copy of the ' Government Gazette' containing this notice, viz •— On all letters for the United Kingdom via Southampton, or by a long sea route, s a. Not^ exceeding £ an ounce in weight 0 6 Exceeding £ an ounce, but not exceeding 1 ounce 1 o Exceeding 1 ounce, but not exceeding 2 ounces.. .. „ 2 0 And Is. additional for every au.nee or fraction of an ounce. { ( On all letters for the United Kingdom via Marseilles an additional rate will be charged, viz .•— ' c. 'd Under a Jof an ounce' .. .. .\ .. 03 r Weighing a} of an ounce, a.nd under £ an • ounce .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0 6 Weighing $ an ounce, and under •} of an ounce '.. 0 9 Weighing fof au ounce, and Tinder 1 dunce 1 0 And one additional ratp of 3d. for each } of an ounce, or fraction of a of an ounce, t i i Onfall Letters and Newspapers for the Continent <f Europe, via Trieste, a rate in addition to my postage payable (o the Colonial Government Trill be charged, viz i Letters* not exrredmg £ an ounce „ .. ' i o ' " exceeding Jan omice,and not exceeding 1 ounce... .. .. .. ..'i .... 2 0 " exceeding 1 ounce, and not exceeding 2 c ounces « .. „ -4 0 And an additional rate of 2s. for each oqnee or fraction of an ounce. '** 's. d. Npwßpapers .. .. .. ..< 0 2 Rates of Postage on Letters and Newspapers forwarded via the United Kingdom to the Colonies and Foreign Countries aTe stited jn thf Tables published in this Gazette. In addition to those charges the letters are liable, according to the route by which they aTe sent, to the foregoing rates of Postage on Correspondence for thp United Kingdom. Book Packets wil 1 be forwarded between the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the lollowmg rates of Postage. '8. d. For a packet not exceeding § Tb '0 8 Fxceerlmg $ft , but not exceeding Ift .. 14 Exceeding 1 ft , but not exceeding 2 !bs. „ 2 8 Exceeding 2 lbs , but not exceeding 3 lbs. .. 4 0 Note —On all Letters and Book Packet* forwarded from New Zealand the tevera.l Rates of Postage set forth herein mlist be prepaid New&papers' from New Zealand for the United Kingdom will be-forwarded free. All letters, Newspaper, and Book Packets, received in Mails fiom the United Kingdom, will be delivered free at al^the Post Offices pt the General Qoyernment qf the Colony. By his Excellency's command. E. W. Stafford Colonial Secietary's Office, Auckland, 27th 1857. His Excellencj the Governor has been pleased to direct ihit the following enclosuie to a Despatch from her Majesty s Piincipal Secretary of State for the Colonies, respe -ting the m.<de of dealing with unpaid, or insufficiently prepaid letters to and from Australia, should be published tor general information, i By his Excellency's command, E. W. Stafford. >

>:r-Tfl *he Rij?ht Ijfraoraye-th^yipxi? jGomitiissioKi „'' efs* of Her.l^ajesty's-'rreasurV..; * * My LoRDS,^WitH VefeMice io Mn Arbuthnot's Jetterjo^the, ISjth ins^ant^infofnirng melin'reply to lfce «??a«?R^ Which, fXjaddresise^, to ?,» *he 3rd instant,^,thatyou^ere^of^opinioji thatdn every;|iccdunt^as well^foi Hie igreater prafetiifabiiitv of the arraignment' be' made; With 'the Australian/ Colonies,f'as'fpr^ thje!Sb>tteri'Hesp^ichs; bf business^'it was *desirablfethat?W system so>y >prepaymeri t 'pf postage ?oriteithei'side^hbul d be established when-the new contractifpirthe^ervjce pf th§jA'ugjtralian/Mails;eomesYin^^ que&ting/me; to" $ake jtfrejnscfessary^s&ps^fbr/igiymg effept to;that Jrule,cl have]the honor jp; Stater.that ,1 wilf }9*£ ,.,«o,.tjme^^.i^j.cpmmunji.catiijg^ith ;the,v;Aus^ triilian^^ Ppst.^Officers oft,,the subjectj for the piitpose of arranging ihe details^ • ,XJpon the commence^ vJce^prep%me"ht-b'f^^^osta^e^^wiliyp strictlyreii'fprcydin^respeiprdf all'lettei^'pofsied;!!!' the-tJiijted ferig- '. d'om-'addressed^tpvA^ustraiiav-^'^-'^^'v.'S^r'iKk*.. ',vi;i;•:■ • ': ■ Numerous instanqeV will^hpweVer^aYisiß itf which the amount of postage paid in the United Kingdom upon letters for Australia, as well as in the Aubtralian Colonies upon letters for the United Kingdom, will be less than that for which the letters are liable, and it will be desirable to come to some arlangement with the colonies with regard to the treatment of such letters. The simplest mode 'that can be adopted will be to treat such letters precisely a's packets sent under the regulations of the Colonial Book Post, whf-n insufficiently prepaid, are treated,' that is to retain the letters and send them to the Returned Lettetf Q{fi,ce if less than a single rate of postage) be preP4id, bat in all oases,where a single *a,te of Postage has been so prepaid to send the' letters forward, charged with an amount of postage equal $o the deficiency, together with an entire additional British rate of sixpence as a fine. Suph a regulation jieed not involve the necessity for any accounts/as each office may be allowed to retain the ampunt collected upon insufficiently paid letters sent to' it' for delivery ; and in that case I would recommend that each office should in like manner retain hereafter the whole amount collected upon r the delivery of insufficiently pai&hooks.so as to render the accounts to which such packets now give rise no longer necessary. __ { < As. the proposed course, however, will be at variance with the .igreement made with Australian Colonies on the establishment of the sixpenny rate, it will be necessary that it receive the assent of the several Colonial Governments before being adopted, and I would suggest, therefore, that if my Dicposal meets with your Lordship's concurrence you should request Mr, Secretary Labouchere tot communicate accordingly with the Governments concerned. ' ' I have, &c, , „',| , (Signed) Argyle. > General Post pffice. . ' 23rd September, 1856. ' , '