No. 360.
Sir,
COPY
134
General Post Office,
Hong Kong, 19th May, 1899.
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt
of your letter dated the 23rd January last in which
you state that the paragraph in your Directors' letter
to which reference was made was written on the assumption
that the Indian Mails were shipped from Hong Kong for conveyance to India and that you now understand that with the exception of a few instances the Hong Kong Mails for conveyance to India have been
shipped to Colombo. You state that you are still of
opinion that the Company are entitled to payment for
the carriage of the Indian Mails in the terms of an
agreement entered into between the Postmaster General
and the Superintendent of your Company in June 1888.
I should be obliged if you would kindly
inform me whether you are now prepared to admit the
claim for refund for the years 1895 and 1896 which
was put forward by the Hong Kong Government, provided
that your Company is paid by this Government for the
actual mails carried by non-contract Steamers from
Hong Kong.
H.A. Ritchie, Esq.,
Superintendent of the P. & O. Company,
HONG KONG.