Hongkong.
No. 385.
Government House,
Hongkong, 29th August, 1902.
296
With reference to the 4th paragraph of my Despatch No. 374 of the 20th instant, I have now the honour to transmit the enclosed copies of letters from His Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking and His Britannic Majesty's Consul at Tientsin relative to the proposed establishment of Agencies at those places of the Hongkong Post Office.
I ask for their early consideration.
In view of the opinions expressed by Sir Ernest Satow and Mr. L.C. Hopkins, I do not consider it advisable for this Government to establish branch Post Offices at Peking and Tientsin.
I am sending a copy of the letters referred to, to the Commissioner at Weihaiwei with an expression of the conclusion I have come to on the subject.
With regard to the proposal contained in the letter of the Commissioner of Customs and District Postmaster at Tientsin addressed to His Britannic Majesty's Consul at that Port, I have to remark that the proposal, which involves the abolition of the Agencies of the Hongkong Post Office at the Treaty Ports of China with the exception of Shanghai, wears a political aspect, especially so long as other Powers continue to maintain the branch Post Offices which they also have opened.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,
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Page 296
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800.
&c.