Offices at Shanghai and several other Ports in China, we have written to Her Majesty's Minister at Peking pointing out the expediency of providing a separate room for postal purposes where it is practicable; and, His Excellency has replied that he will communicate with the Agents, with a view to giving effect, if possible, to these suggestions.
We now proceed to report on the extent of the Postal duties at the various Agencies and the manner in which those duties are conducted.
Omitting Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Shanghai, and Yokohama, which we shall allude to separately in paragraphs 13, 14, and 15, the amount of business to be performed is inconsiderable and occupies but a small portion of the Agents' time.
It is only on the receipt and dispatch of an English mail, once or twice a fortnight, that any large number of letters is either received at the Agencies or dispatched from them, and it is only on these occasions that this Agent's time is much infringed upon by Post Office duties.
As Consular Assistants, they are in attendance at the Office from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M., and any duties...
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