so would the present head writer of Lucknow, a man of very superior attainInents. It might not, perhaps, be advisable to nominate a native to a large military station, such as Meerut or Cawnpore, where European soldiery are employed; but at places such as Patna, Berhampore, Mirzapore, Allyghur, Allahabad, or Delhi, I think a respectable, intelligent and well-educated native, might be employed with advantage. 14. The present cost of the offices enumerated, contrasted with their pro gate increased cost of Rs. 400 per month. posed cost, is shown in the margin. The proposed measure would, therefore, entail an extra charge of Rs. 1,100 per month, provided all these offices were filled by uncovenanted servants,-an arrangement, which, however, can only be effected gradually, as vacancies occur. 15. It must be understood, that the increase above recommended, is confined to cases where the offices may be held by uncovenanted officers, except at Allahabad, Delhi, Ghazeepore and Allyghur in the North Western Provinces, and at Patna and Berhampore in the Lower Provinces; to which must be added the offices of Simla and Mussooree. These eight offices are all inadequately paid, with reference to responsibility incurred and labour performed. In respect to the first six, I respectfully beg to recommend, that the salaries be forthwith raised to the standard, specified in the margin, at an aggre 16. The duties at Allahabad and Delhi, are both very heavy; at the first, as being on the Grand Trunk route, the Grand Trunk route, and having the large public offices of the Sudder Court and Board. It is, moreover, at the head of steam navigation, which brings a large accession of work; and the dâk-bearer duty, is constant and harassing. It is, moreover, now the centre of five instead of three Posts as formerly, which of course entails additional duties. The number of public letters sent and received at Allahabad, exceed probably any Mofussil office in India, save Agra. 17. At Delhi, the duty is heavy, from the great number of Post roads, no less than six,-leading from that city, and from the number of subordinate offices, and the large amount of collections, which have sensibly encreased during the past year, having averaged for the past six months 1,790 rupees a month, about 430 rupees above the average of six months before the Post Office Act took effect. The Delhi Press, moreover, causes a great encrease of work, without adding to the office receipts, as the papers go out "bearing." Both the foregoing offices are well entitled to be raised to first Class offices, with 200' rupees each. 18. At Ghazeepore, the duty is heavy. The number of service letters are great, from its being an European corps station, and head-quarters of a commissioner and one of the Opium Agencies. The dâk-bearer work is also considerable, and the collections have encreased a great deal during the past year, averaging now about 800 rupees a month. Four Posts meet at this Station. Fifty rupees are not sufficient remuneration for the duties of the office.. I trust it may be raised to rupees 100. 19. The same remark applies to the Patna and Berhampore offices, each of which are situated at large stations and cities, with four or five Post roads branching from each. The Post Office collections at Patna, average from 1,200 to 1,300 rupees a month, and at Berhampore the same; and the dâk-bearer duty is considerable. I trust, therefore, that these offices may be raised to rupees 100 each. 20. At Allyghur, the collections are not large, like those at the foregoing. three offices, and do not exceed 500 Rs. a month, but it is situated on the Grand Trunk route, with no less than six subordinate offices, and has a very extensive control of roads, five of which unite at, Allyghur, and there is moreover much dâk-bearer work. The present salary is but fifty rupees. I trust,. therefore, it may be raised to rupees 100 per month. 21. In respect to Simla, and Landour or Mussooree, for six months in each year, the duty is very considerable and often harassing. The number of service letters are very great, and the collections, which in the winter do not exceed 400 or 500 rupees, during the summer exceed 1,400 rupees a month. It seems but reasonable that, during the busy season, the Post Master should receive some extra remuneration. I propose, therefore, that for six months every year, viz., from April to September inclusive, the salary of the Post Masters at Simla and Mussooree, respectively, be rupees 100 each, and remain during the rest of the year at 50 Rs. each, as at present. route from Be 22. The next point for consideration, is expediting the mail on the Grand Expediting mails Trunk route. Within the last few days, the mail has reached on Grand Trunk Delhi, in eight days and fourteen hours, which is as quick nares upwards. as was ever attained under contract; but still, including stoppages, the pace does not exceed four and a half miles an hour. This, probably, is the maximum speed obtainable along a lengthened line, so long as the carriers are men ; but on a road, so important as that between Calcutta and these Provinces, it may be deemed politic, nay essential, to adopt some conveyance more expeditious than that of men, on such portions at least of the road as will admit of horses or wheel conveyances throughout the year. This remark applies particularly to the distance from Benares to Delhi-466 miles-a distance. on which, by a judicious expenditure of money, in employment of horses, I conceive, it is quite practicable to convey the mail in 75 hours, or from 30 to 36 hours less, than the best speed now attainable by men. This would reduce the time between Calcutta and Delhi or Meerutt to seven days, a desideratum. readily admitted to be of no common moment. 23. After much consideration, and correspondence both public and private, I have arrived at the conclusion that, in the present state of the Grand Trunk road, which is yet only partially metalled, horses will make the most efficient conveyers of the Government dak. Between Allygur and Delhi, indeed, the greater part of the road is so well metalled, that a wheeled conveyance might be well employed throughout the year; but this is not the case with some of the lower portions of this road. 24. No tenders for contracts having yet come to my knowledge, for any portions of the road north of Benares, save the short space betwcen Allygur and Meerutt, the plan I am now about to propose, interferes with no private rights. This plan is to convey the Post by means of horsemen in the pay of Government. But before I proceed to detail this plan, I must offer a few remarks on the very material inconvenience entailed on stations along a lengthened line, like that from Calcutta to Loodianah, by the irregularity or unseasonable hours of the mail passing. 25. The majority of letters are delivered into Post Offices from two till five P. M., and the packets are then usually closed for the night. It therefore frequently happens, in consequence of delay in the mail's arrival, that letters have not even started Expediency of having a double dispatch from either end of the line, viz., Calcutta and Delhi or Kurnaul. from the office of despatch, at a time when, with a more efficient system, they would have been actually delivered at the next station. The cross posts, moreover, labour under the same disadvantage, for if they happen to miss the regulating mails, they are detained 24 hours or more, at the point of junction, for the passing of the next Post. The very greatest inconvenience is entailed on the correspondence of several important marts by this arrangement; and it is an actual fact, that packets have travelled 600 miles along the trunk line, in less time than is occupied by cross Posts-between places not 200 miles apart! The mode in which these evils may most conveniently be removed, would be by having two dispatches per diem from either end of the line, at intervals of from eight to twelve hours apart. I would propose, therefore, that there be two despatches a day from Calcutta, one at mid-day, and one as now at eight P. M., and that there be, in like manner, two despatches from the Upper Provinces for Calcutta. The benefits that would result from this proposition, as, respects despatches upwards, are fully set forth in the annexed Tables, Appendix A., of which the following is a short and simple summary, Sheergotty. 26. As respects the General Post usual. All letters written over Agra. Secundra Row. Allyghur. Bolundshuhur, Delhi. Meerut early despatch; and as the first delivery at Calcutta is at 10 A. M., urgent letters might be answered, and that answer be despatched within half an hour after their receipt. The morning newspapers might also go by this opportunity to parties who did not wait for the evening despatch, and with the best results to all parties concerned. Benefit of the 27. If the pace be four miles an hour, the despatches from proposed double Hooghly, Burdwan, Benares, Cawnpore, and Allyghur, would despatch. be sent forward by the proposed 12 o'Clock mail; and those from Sheergotty, Allahabad, and Futtipore by the 8 o'clock or present mail. A whole day would be gained to morning letters and morning newspapers from Calcutta to Hooghly, Gya, or Sheergotty, Allahabad, Futtipore, Delhi or Meerut; as also to letters from Benares to Allahabad, Futtipore, Delhi or Meerut. 28. If the pace be 4 miles an hour, the despatches from Hooghly, Burdwan, Sheerghotty or Gya, Allahabad, Futtipore, Cawnpore, and Allyghur, would be sent forward by the 12 o'clock mail, and only those from Benares, by the 8 o'clock or present mail. A whole day would be gained to morning letters and morning newspapers from Calcutta to Hooghly, Benares, Futtipore and Delhi or Meerut; as also to Patna, Dinajpore, Futtyghur, Agra and Muttra, if the principle were extended to those five large stations; and also, to letters from Burdwan or Sheergotty to Benares, Allahabad, Futtipore, Delhi or Meerut; from Allahabad to Futtipore or Delhi or Meerut; and from Allyghur to Delhi or Meerut. 29. If the pace be five miles an hour, the dispatches from Hooghly, Burdwan, Sheergotty, or Gya, Benares, Futtipore, and Allyghur, would be sent forward by the 12 o'clock mail, and only those from Allahabad and Cawnpore by the 8 o'clock or present mail. A whole day would be gained to morning letters and newspapers to Hooghly, Allahabad and Cawnpore; as also to Patna, Dinapore, Futtyghur; also to letters from Hooghly, Burdwan, Gya, Sheergotty or Benares, to Allahabad or Cawnpore. 30 If the pace be 5 miles an hour, the despatches from Hooghly, Búrdwan, Gya, Sheerghotty, Benares, Allahabad, Futtipore, Cawnpore, Allyghur, in a word from every station en route, would be sent by the 12 o'clock despatch, and morning letters and morning papers would gain nearly a whole day at Allahabad and Cawnpore, and an entire day at Meerut or Delhi. 31. If the pace be 6 miles an hour, the despatches from Hooghly, Burdwan, Gya, Allahabad, Cawnpore and Allyghur, would be sent forward by the morning dispatch, and only those from Sheergotty, Benares and Futtipore, by the present or 8 o'clock mails. A whole day would be gained to morning letters and morning papers, at Gya or Sheergotty, Benares, Futtipore and Delhi or Meerut, -as also to Futtyghur and Mynpooree ;-and also letters from Gya, Sheergotty or Benares, to Futtipore, Delhi or Meerutt. of It appears, therefore, that the proposed measure will be of essential. benefit, not only to Calcutta, but to the majority of the stations along the grand trunk, let the pace of the mail be what it may, from 4 to 6 miles per hour. The gain to stations in respect to downward mails, will be at least as great as shown for the upward mails: packets will never be detained more than a few hours at any office in transit, instead of frequently a whole day, and the vexatious delays to the cross posts will be, in a great measure, avoided. 33. The cost of arrangement must next be considered. From Calcuttato Benares, and thence to Bhowgaum, the proposition will cause no Cost the proposed increase of expense; because as there are many runners at each. arrangement. Stage, and the aggregate daily load will be the same, it matters not to the runners, whether the same is conveyed in one despatch, or divided into two. If one man's load is sent from Calcutta by the morning despatch, there will be one load less at night. If two loads in the morning, there will be two loads less at night; and independent of all other considerations, there will be a gain in time at the offices in transit, by dividing into two dispatches, the immense number of packets confined to a single despatch. Less time would be required for registering either half, than is now consumed in registering the whole at once, which necessarily delays the mail much more than is desirable. From Julalpore to Futtehghur, 25 miles; from Bhowgaum to Agra, 78 miles; and from Bhowgaun to Delhi and Meerutt, 168 miles, some extra establishments would be required, and perhaps also from Secundra Row to Muttra, 48 miles. If the carriers are men, the cost will be as follows. The addition of four men from Julalpore to Futtyghur, of thirteen men from Bhowgaum to Agra, of eight men from Secundra Row to Muttra, and of thirty-three to Delhi and Meerutt, total fifty-eight men, will probably suffice, which, at four rupees each, only amount to rupees 232 per month; a sum exceedingly small, when compared with the great convenience that will result from the arrangement. 34. As the simplest mode of regulating the despatch downwards from Delhi, I would propose to separate the Simla despatch from that of Loodiana, and to arrange these two despatches, so that one shall reach Umballa about twelve hours after the other. This can readily be effected by mutual communication between the local officers at Simla and Loodiana respectively. It |