The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-21 00:00:00

REDUCTION OF POSTAGE. ON LETTERS
TO CERTAIN COLONIES.

General Post-office, March, 1854,

On and after the 23d inst., the postage upon letters
conveyed, whether by British mail packet or private
ship, between the United Kingdom and the following
British Colonies and Possessions :—Canada, Prince Ed-
ward Island, Bermuda, British West Indies (Barbadoes
and Turk's Island excepted), Britisb Guiana, Bahamas,
Belize, Malta, and Gibraltar, will he reduced to a com-
bined British and Colonial rate of—
Os. 6d. for a letter not exceeding half an ounce in
weight ;
is. Od. for a letter exceeding half an ounce, and not
exceeding one ounce ;
2s. Od. for a letter exceeding one ounce, and not
exceeding two ounces ;
and so on, increasing one shilling for every additional
ounce or fraction of an ounce. The postage upon these
letters may be paid in advance, or letters maybe posted
unpaid, at the option of the sender.
The reduction will not at present extend to the other
provinces of British North A merica, viz. :—Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick, nor to Barbadoes nor the Turk's
Island, the Governments of those colonies not having yet
signified their acquiescence en the arrangements.
To the reduced rate of 6d., a United States' transit
rate of 2d. per half ounce must be added in the case of
all letters forwarded to Canada by British mail packets,
and not specially marked "via Halifax," making the
totaLcharge upon a letter for Canada, not so marked—
Os. Bd. when not exceeding half an ounce in weight ;
is. 4d. when exceeding half an ounce, and not exceed-
ing one ounce ;
2s. Bd. when exceeding one. ounce, and not exceeding
two ounces ;
and so on ; but when the letter is marked " via Halifax,"
no additional charge will be made.
In like manner a French transit rate of sd. per quar-
ter ounce will be chargeable upon all letters for Malta,
which are not specially marked "via Southampton,"
making the total charge upon a letter for Malta—
Os. 11d. when under a quarter of an ounce in weight ;
is. 4d. when weighing a quarter of an ounce, and
under half an ounce in weight ;
2s. 3d. when weighing half an ounce, and under three-
quarters of an ounce in weight, and so on.

Letters for Gibraltar specially directed 4 via France"
will also be liable to a French transit rate of sd. per
quarter ounce, in addition to the British rate of 6d. per
half ounce. The whole of this combined postage must
be paid in advance.
In the mails made up for Demerara is included the
correspondence for Surinam and Cayenne, and the mails
made up for Belize comprise the correspondence for Hon-
duras and Guatemala. All letters, therefore, addressed
to Surinam, Cayenne, the States of Honduras or Gua-
temala, will in future be chargeable in this country,
with a rate of 6d. only per half ounce, which rate must
be paid in advance.
Alt must be observed that the foregoing reduction can-
not be applied to letters conveyed by a mail packet be-
longing to the 'United States, or by a French mail packet
in the Mediterranean. Letters, therefore, for Canada,
despatched by the United States' mail packets, as well
as letters for Malta sent by the French Mediterranean
packets, will continue liable to the existing rates of post-
age.

On letters conveyed by the Canadian mail packets be
tween Liverpool and Quebec, the reduced rate of 6d,
only will be chargeable.

The following table shows the conditions under which
letters may be sent to the several places specified for the
reduced rate of sixpence the half ounce, viz. :

Canada

{lf addressed "via Halifax," or
" by Canadian Mail Packet," or
" by private ship."

Prince Edward Island
Bermuda
British West Indies
(Barbadoes & Turks
Island excepted)
British Guiana
Surinam
Cayenne
Bahamas
Belize
Honduras
Guatemala
Malta

Without any special address, or i:
marked " by private ship."

If addressed "via Southampton,'
or " by private ship."
Without any special address, or ii
marked by "private ship."

Gibraltar

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

On and from the same dated, the rates of postage now
chargeable upon packets containing printed Votes and
proceedings of the Imperial Parliament, sent through
the post to any of the Colonies above specified will be
repealed, and all such packets will be subject to the
rates of postage which are levied on printed books sent
to the Colonies, viz :
_