4
355
office here which they
long remains a branch of the Houghton Post office. If the proposed change were carried out, the result would simply be that a large proportion of correspondence would be sent under cover to agents in Hongkong, so that this Colony would derive nearly the same revenue as at present, while the Shanghai Post Office being made an independent office, would have to make up mails for and keep accounts with, not only Hongkong but about twenty-five other places, and would cost the Imperial government at least four or five times what it does at present as a mere sub-office of Hongkong.
For these reasons, which apply equally to all the other ports, I think that any departure from