" he would call in the course of the day with the Time Bill and other voucheres " this he did at 2. P. M. I must admit that it was my duty to have declined receiving the Mails from any party but the Admiralty Agent, but as this would, in all probability, have involved delay of 3 or 4 of His Excellency's despatches, and in the sorting of the general Mails, especially at such a busy time, I refrained from following that course which was my strict line of duty.
I have, &c.
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(Signed) Thomas Byland,
Postmaster
True Copy
J. d'Homergue
Assistant Secretary.
By Order of
Post Office
Hongkong,
4th October 1855.
I beg to acknowledge your letter of this day's date, enclosing, from the Honble. The Colonial Secretary, accompanied by a letter of complaint from Lieutenant Wodehouse, the Admiralty Agent on board the "Pottinger", on the receiving of her last trip to this Port, representing to His Excellency, the alleged serious irregularities in regard to the despatch of the mails by that vessel on the 15th ultimo,
As you were not on the spot at the time, I feel it my duty to submit a most impartial explanation for Thomas Byland, Esqt,