A COPY
W. O. 31432 138 7E03 NOV 13 HONG KONG
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Sir,
13th June, 1899.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of 19th May and 7th instant. In the former letter the proposition is put forward that I should agree to settle the claim made by the Hongkong Government for the refund of the money amounting to $2022.85 paid by the General Post Office for the mails shipped from Hongkong for Bombay by the Company's steamers during 1895 & 1896 which, it appears, were usually transferred at Colombo and forwarded thence to India, by another route by consenting to refund this money, receiving, as a set-off, payment from the Hongkong Government for the actual mails carried by non-Contract steamers from Hongkong to Bombay during the above later period, which I learn, from your letter, may be estimated to amount to the trifling sum of $8.74.
Capt. W. C. H. Hastings, R.N.
Postmaster General
HONG KONG.