The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-24 00:00:00

121,96.

The available receipts of postage wore 11,041/. larger
th In in the previous year ; but, on the other hand, the de-
partment was called upon to meet an augmentation In the
expenditure of 31,4801., arising mainly upon the organisa-
tion of the new post-offi.,es and routes established, the
large add Maus.? mail service _provided to meet the urgent,
requirem.nts of the country, upon the progressive advance
in all parts of the nrovince, the cost Of all descriptions of
'nail transport, the payments for railroad service, the
coarnission payable to postmasters on the increased
stage collections, and the augmentation which it became
necessary to allow in the compensation paid to postmasters.
clerks, mail o mductors, and other ofl;ets employed in the
department, _ _

To meet the deficit of 29,2101., there remained upon the I
grant of 1854 of 20,0001.; after dedifcting the arrears of
7,1701. standing against the departinent on 31st March,
1-451, a balance of 12 8291 applicable to the purpose, leav-
ing yet to be provided for 17,0901.
Notwithstanding the important reduction made in the
postage rate between-Canada and the United Kingdom in
March, 1854, the continual erowth of the intercorrespond-
erica has been sufficient to maintain the collections at nearly
the same amount as before ; for the British packet postage
collected in Canada in the year ending the lst of April.
WA (when the rate per half-ounce was ls. 2a. sterling)
,! as .17,495/. ; whilst for the year ending Ist of April,
155, during the whole of which period the half-ounce
postage rate was Bd. sterling, it was 16,4491. -
The Book-post regulations, controlling the transmission
of books, pamphlets, and periodicals, between Canada and
the United Kingdom. received a very acceptable modifica-
tion in !March, 1854, extending fresh facilities to this
branch of intercourse, by removing foolish restrictions and
penalties, which had been imposed by the British Post-
office, and which had given occasion to much 'public in-
convenience and complaint in Canada.
In March, 1855, a reduction in the charge on letters
passing through the English posts between Canada and
France, from 2s. Bid. cy. to is. Bd. cy. per oz. letter,
was made, and a further valuable improvement has since
taken effect under an arrangement concluded by the Bri-
tish and French Governments for the interchange between
Cabada aLd France (and certain foreign countries through
France) of books, pamphlets, and other printed matter of
a like character, at reduced rates of charge.
The postal intercourse between Canada and the United
States continues to enlarge. In the year ending Ist April,
1852, it was 21,409/. ; 1 53, 26,211.1. ; 1854, 32,4801.; 1855,
36,3441. The number of dead letters in the year 1854-5
was 151,504 ; in the previous year, 114011.
On dolst Feb., 1855, the Provincial Money Order system
was finally organised upon principles assimilating it in its
chief features to that of Great Britain, and commenced
operations at 84 'of the principal posit-offieee in the country.
At first, as an experiment. the arne.unt for which a money
order could be issued was 101., with an uniform chair of
Is. 3,1. upon each order. The course of operations was
,carefully watched during the three' months following the
Ist of February, a'd the experience gained showed that an
increase might conveniently• be made in the amount-for
which orders were grante 1, and that the uniform charge
should give place to a scale equivalent to 4 per cent. Ac•
cordingly, on the Ist of May, 1855, these alterations were-
introduced and simultaneously the operation of I,he system
was extended to 73 additional offices. The pi eipriety of
the modifications thus adopted has bfien appar !net in the
impulse given to this branch of the Post-office de p.artment.
The operations of the Ist year to Ist Feb , 185 5, show a
totel of money orders issued amounting to ui wards of
160,0001. ; and at the rate of business transact ef.l at the
date of he report it may reasonably be anticip; sled that
the amount of transactions for the second Year u Tj.ll reach
the sum of 400,0001.

One hale of the charge made on issuing an ord eff is re-
ti,ined by the issuing p istm-ster (except at the city post-
offices), in compensation for his trouble, and the re or ain+ler
is appropriated to the general expenses of this hr a nch of
the e tablishment. As yet the revenue thus derived has
been inadequate to meet these expenses ; but this: was to

have been counted on as inevitable on the commet tc ement
of the undertaking. With the increase of bnsihes s which
is now being realised, titis state • f matters will, i t is ex-
petted by the Postmaster-General, soon die sppear.,
At the same time that the operations of the Alone y Order
system were extended, a complete system of registration of
letters was carried into effect.
.In July of last year an act of the Canadian Lee* lature
Cain() into effect, by which the postage charge on al / new-
papers passing by the post in Canada is abolished ; :and as
there is no stamp duty on newspapers in Canada t 1 e Go-
vernment derives no fiscal benefit from their exist a oce or
circulation.
The Postmaster-General thus winds up his lotto .eating
report :
I cannot conclude without testifying to the ability and
unwearied zeal of W. H Griffin, Esq., in the disch s rge of
the varied and resp-msi hle duties which necessarily t evolve
on the permanent first officer of this department.
I have also great pleasure in stating that the othe r supe-
rior officers inspectors, and deputies, in their ready ~efforts
give effect to the improvements from time to ti roe de-
vised by the department, and to carry out its instructions,
a..!e justly entitled to my warmest thanks.
, The duties imposed on deputy postmastets are always
otserous, and frequently call for the exercise of gre at vigi-
la nee and care, with an unceasing regard for the it trterests
of the department separate from the particular de sties of
the local office. They form a chain of communica' Aon by
wl tich a gradual expansion of the postal system is e 6 ected,
an,i are constantly.found to be most useful in aid t og the
clepartmeat to guard against the various acciden is and
hin tlrances which must occur in a new country emb racing
a ttirritory of 1,300 miles in length. In the ordinary: work-
ing of the system, infOrmation respecting missing MN is and
lost ,letters, in the development of the Money Order bi
thee le officers frequently supply most efficiently the place
of local inspectors, and confidentially communicate to the
department information of the most valuable chat: meter.
I de sire the more particularly to make mention of the
servi cos of this class of officers, because, in a r (1. ajority
of in.stances, I am satisfied that the largest p By cent-
age or. .money remuneration which can be allowed tlnem is
wholly- inadequate to compensate for their lab°, las, and
that tlse.ir devotedness in duties always responsible, and
frequently irksome, must result from higher moti yes than
those a rising out of mere pecuniary consideration: I.