AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND—RECENT ALTERATIONS OF POSTAGES ON LETTERS SUSPENDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 268, 21 September 1864, Page 6

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND—RECENT ALTERATIONS OF POSTAGES ON LETTERS SUSPENDED.

(From tho London Observer, July 17.) The Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury have decided not to carry into etfcct, at present, the alterations in tho rates of postage on letters addressed to tho Australian Colonies and to New Zealand, by packet and private ship, which was ordered to take place on llie Ist instant; and a Treasury WaiTant has been issued re-imposing the old rates of postage of | fid. the Jo/., letter via Southampton, lfd. " " via "Marseilles. Cd. " " By Private ship. These rates must ho paid in advance as heretofore. I»y Command of the Postmaster-General. General Post Oilice, July lGth, 18G-1. Mr. F. Peel, in reply to Lord A. Churchill, said I that the Post Office last year recommended to the Treasury that there should bo an incraso of tho rate of postage on letters to Australia, with tho double object of reducing the amount annually granted by Parliament to meet the excess of tho expense of carrying tho letters over the receipts and of providing the means of defraying the costs of establishing:! second monthly communication with Australia. The plan of establishing fortnightly-postal communication with Australia was not proceeded with, in consequcncc of its being understood that it was intended to establish a communication with Australia via Panama, independent of tho Home Government. It appeared, however, that that idea was no longer '■uti'riained. and therefore the government were tree to rovert, to their plan to increase postal communication with the Australian colonies, and under the circumstances he tlu uglit it would he reasonable to postpone the execution of tho recent increase in tlie postage until the colonics had been communicated with as to their desire to have a hi-montlily mail in conjunction villi tie increase of the postato rate. Lord A. Churchill said that, under these circumstances, he would not proceed with the motion oil the subject of whiih he had given notice.