officials in British offices.
Despatches 45 and 46 of the 8th and 9th February replied to by letter 185 of 13th March the 寄會 "Macao rate 594 could not be departed from.
Further despatch No.70 dated 28th March and two semi-official notes dated respectively 24th and 28th March asking that the Shanghai rate be conceded north of Foochow threatens to boycott British mails prohibiting their conveyance by the "expensive fleet of steamers kept by China (in March 159 British and 6 Chinese vessels carried mails from Hong Kong), admits it is not advisable to discuss the abolition of the postal agencies at the Treaty ports other than Shanghai though the duties could be performed more satisfactorily by the Imperial Post Office ends up by suggesting that the amounts refundable by China to Hong Kong being at all events and in all cases not less than the sums paid by Hong Kong on behalf of China **and trusting that the innovation proposed may be approved.
Semi-official of 24th March suggests possibility of undertaking some of the Marine sorting (none is done but between Singapore