WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3306, 26 July 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

Bs:' .-::?•-./.::: This day. j The Post Office Report. : j The 1 twentieth annual report of the Post Office furnished the following facts 1: —Notwithstanding the commercial depression the postal returns of all branches show a large increase in business. The cash receipts to end of June last were £129,906, against £114,191 in prerious year. The total expenditure during the same period was £142,708, while the expenditure for the previous year was £136,118 i

The number of letters received and despatched in 1878 was 15,524,761, or art increase of 2,469,891. The, post-cards received ■ and (despatched numbered 254,183, an increase, of ■ 131,879. The' book packets received;and .despatched were 919,149, an increase of 179,970| The newspapers received and despatched were 9,410,366, an increase of 1,344,055, The average number of letters posted in propor tionto the population was 16 41 to each person. In 1875 the average was I4j The amount in trust for the Savings Bank Department is £756,310.' The profit for year, after deducting expenses, was £2747. £31,664 was paid to depositors by way of interest. The Department' will now examine the. JPost bMce property, stores, etc. The Department has not yet entered in the general postal union; Carriages fitted as travelling Post Offices are now attached to express trains between Christchurch and Invercargill, and any articles of merchandise not likely to damage mails are now accepted, the; weight not to exceed five pounds. Inland book post regulations have been made oh a more liberal scale. With regard to the suburban deliveries householders are! recommended to pi|t up a receptucle'' at Jtheir! 'u||§iif- 'gate* forj correspondence. It is pointed put that the absence of street numbering Is a great drawback. Nine, additional Money

Order Savings Banks oliices were established during the year. £112,050 was collected for postage stamps during the year, or an increase of £15,386 over the previous year. Taking into account £56,176 for official postage, the gross earnings of the Department for the year amount to £186,082, or £43,374 in excess. The weight of correspondence forwarded through all the offices was 122 tons, and the value of this description in 1877 amounted U> £52,848. There are 282 licensed stamp vendors who received £1133 by way of poundage an the sale of stamps. The carriage of mails by nusubsidised vessels cost £2654 ; revenue from private boxes and bags, £2615. The newspaper wrappers, sold between Ist April and the end of December, 1878, were 200,416, and 121,232 wrappers were sold to the public for the six months ending 30th Juno. 17473 unclaimed or dead letters were disposed of during the year. The articles received in; the< dead-letter office were 1 gold ring, 4 pairs of earring*, 1 gold chain and locket, 3 gold pins> 6 gold studs, 1 silver watch^ 1 set of silve^ studs, 3 silver coins. 35 letters w?re, posted without addressee, and 427 were detaided)for postage. 649 newspapers arid 421 books reached ! the dead-letter bn^ce addresses, and only 63 could be delivered. 7 letters were posted with previously used postage' stamps. 68,978 letters were registered during the.year, shoeing an increase of 8391 on the number registered .pitting 1877.:. ■•" ■ ■•' ■■■■■"■'' ' '■■'■i]'- 7 • ; ;

Xlie Division to take placo oa ; - Tuosd»7 aixt Ithas been defimtej[^ ! arroi?ed;bjetw l een the Government and Opposition that the division on the no confidence motion will be taken on Tuesday, about 4 o'clock. It: is also stated that 'the Opposition are so ,cpnfiaent|hat they are filling togivethes Government the benefit of the two absent .votes, 'Meint Driver and Bastings. ? \ Sellars this morning recovered £.100; damages from Capt. Stafford for charging him at the R.M. Court with having stolen* some-articles of furniture which Sellats sold and Stafford purchased at the auction. The Magistrate at the time said such a trumpery case should never have been brought into Court. Sellars sought to reco,vet£lsoo. . - -, : ■•J i*ne sentence of the Court of Inquiry into the wreck of the Swallow is confirmed. , • '. Thi^ number of telegrams' forwarded from.April to June 1879 is 355,331, showing an increase of 21,928. The cash received was £18,945 pr a decrease of J£9l. .'•;' The value of Government telegrams for the same period was £7988, showing an increase of £2249. The B.M.S. Zealandia with the London mails of Jane 19th, left San Francisco for Auckland- on the 7th July, the contract date. • : : ■";;'■■" ■■■■■■'■,! The City; of Sydney, with the polonial June mails, arrived at 'Frisco on the 15th July, being two days in advance of her contract date. '}'.'.,..,■.- ... -,■■,•.■••.-:- ? ,-, •' Vi Ah offer has been made> to* altow bail to Wiremu Matakane, the hero: of the wreck of the Lord Worsleyj bnt he declines to leave prison unless . his comrades arc allowed to leave prison with him. .: Wi Parata refused to accept bail for his son, as he should take his chance with the others., Wi Parata will petition both Houses not to allow the prisoners to be tried before the Chief Justice as he has, already prejudiced the case, and praying they may be tried before impartial justices of the Supreme Court:' > 'l "• l : j