As regards the Harbour-charges, in the British Colonies, these may be given up, or reduced to a small sum for the trouble which the Custom Houses may be put to; and in foreign ports it should be arranged by compacts with the respective governments, that the port dues should be reduced to a small sum, for two reasons,—because the vessels carry the mails, and because they are on that account restricted to a small portion of the whole cargo, which they could otherwise take. The charges might be made proportionate: there could not be much difficulty in arranging these points. In some of the minor ports (foreign), the steamers would not even come to anchor.
WEST INDIES.—INTERNAL POST OFFICES.
The internal communications in the West Indies by post are very inefficient, even where they exist, but in most colonies these are altogether wanting.
Communication in the West Indies on business, and in the affairs of public and private life, is principally carried on by correspondence; and from the particular circumstances of these colonies, more so in proportion than in other countries.
The way in which this extensive and general communication is carried on is by letter sent by servants or hired messengers. These servants or messengers take days in a particular service, according to the distance. The latter mode is particularly expensive. The other, the most general, is scarcely less so, except that from the construction of West Indian society, there was beforetime felt no immediate outlay for the service required.
Important supplies are required upon an estate for various purposes. This is of very frequent occurrence. A special messenger from that estate must be despatched with a letter ordering the same, to a distance of twenty or thirty miles, or more. Two or three days' labour are lost, an expense of 4s. or 5s. incurred, while 1s. for letters by post, if there was a post, would accomplish the object. This is merely one point brought forward in proof of the necessity of internal post conveyances in the British West Indian colonies, as in this country, out of the multitudes that could be adduced for a similar purpose.
The state of society in the West Indies is now on the eve of being completely changed, and assimilated to the society in this country; and consequently the duty of the Government of this country ought to bestow on the population of the colonies the same facilities of communication which the population of the mother country enjoy.
When the Negro apprenticeship comes to an end, either partially or totally, the expense to estates and individuals for servants or messengers to carry the correspondence absolutely necessary, will be exceedingly great, and a most serious burden; and yet it must be borne,—or otherwise, without internal post communications, neither cultivation nor commerce can be carried on.
It is absolutely necessary for the future well-being of these colonies, that internal post communications should be extended to, and established in each of them.
Jamaica (and perhaps it stands single in this respect) has an internal post communication once a week, to and from Kingston, and other quarters of the island (daily only with Spanish Town, the capital); still this weekly post is greatly inadequate to its present wants, and will be much more so after August 1838, and August 1840. In consequence of this restricted communication, no other part of the island, Spanish Town excepted, knows of a packet's arrival until it is gone, or till it is too late to write by it. This important colony ought not only to have mails from Kingston at least three times a week, but the various post-offices throughout the island should have auxiliary post-offices, after the manner of penny or twopenny post-offices in this country. Every one will be glad to pay a regular and reasonable postage, rather than be at the very heavy expense, after 1840, of taking a labourer to convey the communications. Knowing the stated day for receiving and transmitting letters, no one in the most distant parts could ever be at a loss; and every one, more especially on estates, would benefit and save exceedingly thereby.