New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 11, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 568, 11 January 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 11, 1851.

Last Wednesday’s Government Gazette contains an important Proclamation by his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief (printed in our present number) by which the current rate of postage (of fourpence for eveyy letter not exceeding half an ounce, of eight pence

for letters not exceeding an ounce, and a further rate of eight pence chargeable for every additional ounce cr fraction of an ounce), is to be reduced one half, and a system of prepayment by means of postage stamps is to be introduced into New Zealand. On all deeds, law proceedings and law papers, and all periodical publications, a postage will in future be charged of two pence for every four ounces in weight, and printed prices current and commercial lists not exceeding two ounces in weight are to be conveyed free of postage. The Proclamation which which repeals the present rate of postage is silent on a subject which was formerly a grievance, but which was altered by the Governor-in-Chief; we allude to ship letters transmitted from the port of arrival to any other port in the colony which formerly was chargeable with double postage, so that a letter from England to Wellington, if the vessel arrived direct, was charged four pence ; but if the vessel happened to visit Auckland or Nelson first, the postage of a letter was eight pence; this inland postage on letters was judiciously reduced by Sir George Grey to one penny in addition to the sea postage “without reference to their weight.” We presume this regulation will still be adhered to, though, as we have said before, the Proclamation is silent on this head, and simply repeals all previous rates of postage “ now payable in the colony of New Zealand for the transmission, receipt or delivery of letters,” and substitutes the rate of two pence for every half ounce on each letter without reference to the distance which it may be conveyed. The new scale of postage is to come into operation the Ist April/1851. This reduction of postage is a great boon, and we suppose is part of a plan to be introduced into the different Coionies of Great Britain, by which, in fact, the Postag e is reduced to the lowest rate, is made uniform throughout Great Britain and its dependencies, and becomes what Burritt calls an “ Ocean Penny postage,” for the remaining penny is a gratuity to the Shipmaster for the conveyance of the mails. This is a concession to the colonies which should not be suffered to pass without due acknowledgement inasmuch as it offers every facility to the communications between the emigrant and those he has left behind him, and by still keeping up theconnectionbetween them may, iu many instances, induce his relatives and friends to join him in the land of his adoption. We hope it may prove the harbinger of that steam communication between Great Britain and the Australian Colonies, and of Local Steam Communication between the different settlements in New Zealand, which so much talked of will, when brought into operation, in point of time reduce the intervening distance between Great Britain and these colonies one-half, and consequently more than double the amount of voluntary immigration. Wealso hope among other alterations to be made, that the postage payable in England on newspapers will hereafter be abolished so as, in this respect, to offer every facility to the means of information between the Mother Country and the Colonies.