401
- will probably fall short of the Expenditure entailed by these letters upon the Honghing office alone, leaving the Expenditure at the Ports Estimated at £926, altogether unprovided for.
4.
This the Post Master General suggests might be met by the payment to the Colony of a round sum from the Imperial revenue, and intimates his readiness to deal with the question in a liberal spirit. But I think, and the Legislative Council fully concur with me, that as the Colony does not seek either to profit or lose by these Agencies—the management of which is not at all wished for—the fairest arrangement would be to allow the Colony towards defraying the Expenses of the central office here the same share of the postage upon Hong Kong-letters, and Agency letters as on Postal Acty P.M's Report anneyed; further to deduct from the Imperial revenue the actual expenditure incurred beyond the limits of the Colony for the maintenance of Post offices at the Consular Ports in China and Japan, and which it will be observed is chiefly composed of allowance to Consular officers.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord Duke,
Your Grace's most obedient Servant,
Receier GH Robinson
GM