Colonial Despatches

I think it right to suggest that the attention of the Postmaster General should be called to the disproportion which now exists between the rate of Postage from this Colony to Great Britain and the rates from this Colony to the UnitedStates States and from the United States to England.

2. At present the rate of Postage to and from Great Britain, on a single letter, under 1/2 ounce, is one Shilling, or twenty four cents. The rate, under the recent arrangements, to any part of the United States is six cents, or three pence; and the same rate of six Cents is all that is charged on Letters from the United States to Great Britain. Consequently persons writing from British Columbia can enclose their Letters for England tocorrespondents correspondents in California and have them reposted there for half the rate of postage which would be charged upon them at our own Post Office.

3. This disproportion ought not to continue. The existing rate of Postage to England was established before the opening of the Pacific Railway, when the Mails were sent via Panama; but the whole course of postal service has since been modified.