Colonial Despatches

Inconvenience has frequently arisen to Merchants and others in this Country from the absence of any general official statement of the duties levied on articles imported into Her Majesty's Possessions respectively. I am anxious to be able to prepare the best tabular statementwhich which can be given, and to lay it every year before the Houses of Parliament, and I have, therefore, to request that you will furnish me annually with a table of the duties thus levied in the Colony under your Government.

As Parliament ordinarily meets in February, this table should be corrected up to the latest date at which it can be conveniently dispatched so as to reach this Country about the 1st of January.

An address for these Returns having been moved for in Parliament this Session and agreed to by me, I request you to have these Returns prepared at once and forwarded by the succeeding Mail.

I forward, for your guidance, a copy of the last Return presented to Parliament in 1860.