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They appended their petition to this Lordship, the Postmaster General. I enclose copies of the only two letters I have addressed to Mr Davenport on the subject; and I beg that it may be clearly laid before the Colonial Office that I did not make such statement as the petitioners imagine.
I venture to suggest that the letter be forwarded with this explanation to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The argument of the petitioners as to the amount of local knowledge required by the Postmaster is no doubt entitled to consideration, but it must not be forgotten that whoever is appointed will have the services of Mr Davenport as most competent head clerk who passes on his knowledge and is himself capable of carrying on the duty. No doubt any intelligent person would in a few months have acquired all the local knowledge necessary.
With regard to Mr Davenport's remarks as to the desirability of the Postmaster's being a British subject, I may observe that no inconvenience arises at Yokohama from the fact that the Postmaster there is, like many of our public...
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