No. 43

I only a few days ago discovered accidentally that no reply has
yet been furnished to Your Lordship's Despatch to my
Predecessor, No 16 of 26th February last, enclosing
correspondence with the Postmaster General relative to the
postal arrangements between this Colony and the United States.
My attention was attracted to the subject on investigating what
appeared to me to be some very singular anomalies existing at present.

2. There can be no doubt that the terms offered by the
Postmaster General of the United States will be greatly to the
advantage of the Colony as compared with the prevailing system,
and I propose that if possible they should come into operation
from the 1st of April next, though no action shall be taken in
the matter until I receive further instructions from Your Lordship.

3. But there are two points upon which I should be glad to be
furnished with some further information.

4. It is not obvious why
Newspapers and printed matter
despatched from either side to the other should be subject to
the "domestic rates" of postage to and from the frontier in the
United States and the Colonies respectively, when
letters appear to be relieved from these charges.
The objection to their being retained is the difficulty which
they place in the way of entire prepayment when the senders
desire to relieve their correspondents from any charge for
postage. I find that the existing system requiring the payment
of the "domestic rates" in the United States on
Letters, had led to the practice on the part of this Government of
importing United States Postage Stamps for use in a British
Colony. And as this will no longer be necessary as regards
Letters under the proposed agreement, it would be very desirable
if the practice could also be avoided in respect of Newspapers
and printed matter. An increase of the rate of postage to be
paid and retained on either side would be preferable if it might
be substituted for an arrangement which prevents entire
prepayment, or compels the use of foreign Postage Stamps. If I
am not mistaken the ordinary internal postage on a letter from
San Francisco to New York is three cents. In the proposal of
the American Post Office this seems to have been doubled on
letters to British Columbia. Might not the same principle be
adopted with respect to Newspapers and printed matter?

5. I should be glad to be informed in the second place of the
effect which the proposed arrangement will have as regards
correspondence with Canada. Letters are now charged ten cents
for United States postage which in accordance with the practice
to which I have referred is paid by affixing United States
Stamps on posting them here. I confess I do not regard with
favor a practice which thus subordinates our postal arrangements
to the domestic regulations of a foreign Country. But as
postage on letters passing through to and from Canada will not
be received by the States either on despatch or delivery,
some agreement seems necessary on this score to complete the
arrangements.