§ The contracts for the Eastern, Australian, and West Indian Mail Services, though made by the Postmaster General, are in effect joint undertakings of the Imperial and Indian and Colonial Post Offices. The addition to the Estimates for 1888–9 of a charge of £170,000 for the Australian Service has afforded the opportunity of taking the Indian and Colonial contributions as Appropriations-in-Aid of the Vote. The necessity will thus be avoided of unnecessarily swelling both Expenditure and Revenue, and of asking Parliament to vote a gross sum, of which a large proportion would afterwards be paid to the Exchequer as Extra Receipts.
§ Treasury Chambers, 9 March 1888.
§ W. L. JACKSON.