Sir,
I am to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant, and to state that the arrangement proposed by the Postmaster General of Hongkong is one which, in the opinion of the Marquis of Hartington, it would not be at all desirable to adopt. I am to point out that letters sent from Hongkong to the places in question, via the United States mail Packets, could not be forwarded through the medium of the British Packet Agent at San Francisco, but would have to be sent in the mails for the United States Post Office; and postage accounts of a very complicated nature would have to be established with that Office.
The United States Packets leave Hong Kong for San Francisco once a month only, while the communication via Suez is three times a month - twice by British Packet and once by French Packet; so that it is fair to assume that the amount of correspondence which would be benefited by such arrangement as Mr. Mitchell proposes is but small, and would not warrant this Department in incurring the trouble and expense which would be involved in keeping the requisite postage accounts.
I am,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
F. X.
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