communities. Indeed Her Majesty's Consul at Vientian complains that his staff has "to distribute Mails sometimes containing letters for not a single British subject."
On
In connexion with this subject Mr. Fawcett has read the Report of the Commissioners who in 1867 enquired into the Postal agencies in China, and he thinks that the reasons (Paragraph 19) which they so decidedly gave for not recommending the establishment of additional Agencies are conclusive and apply as much to present circumstances as to those then existing.
After full consideration Mr. Fawcett directs me to state, for the information of the Earl of Derby, that he cannot recommend the Treasury to add to the contribution which this Department already makes towards the expense of maintaining Postal Agencies in China; but he would suggest whether the proposed accommodation might not be supplied if the residents were willing to bear the expense. This is a course sometimes taken in this Country when Postal accommodation is asked for, the expense of which is not warranted by the amount of Correspondence, and there seems no difficulty in applying the principle to the China ports.
Should the Earl of Derby see fit to propose this alternative to the Governor of Hong Kong, this Department need take no part in the matter, as any arrangements made would not affect the Department's contribution.