COPY
31432
D
NOV O
HONG KONG
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
23rd January, 1899.
Sir,
128
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 19th inst., and in reply to inform you that the paragraph in my Directors' letter, to which reference is made, was written on the assumption that the Indian Mails were shipped from Hongkong for conveyance to India, and the argument therefore is that such being the case this Company is entitled to payment for the service even if they were landed at Colombo and sent via Tuticorin.
I now understand that with the exception of a few instances the Hongkong mails for conveyance to India have been shipped to Colombo and you therefore contend that the above argument must fall to the ground, but I am still of opinion that the Company are entitled to payment for the carriage of the Indian Mails in the terms of an agreement.
Hon. A. L. Thomson,
Postmaster General,
HONG KONG