}
No. 55o
550.
Hongkong.
515
C.O. 2430
JC
JAN OD:
Goverment House,
Hongkong, 19th. December, 1902.
4
MO
ག་
sir.
I have the honour to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of your Despatch No. 380 of the 7th. ultimo, recommend-
ing that the French Postal Authorities in the Far East be per-
mitted to forward their mails to the French Post Office at
Canton by the French Steamer plying between Hongkong and that
Port.
2.
In considering this question I venture to
invite your attention to the last paragraph of the letter ad-
dressed by Mr. Lewis on the 27th. August last to the Secretary
of the General Post Office, London, in which the Acting Post-
master-General mentions that, when the French Post Office
"was asked to allow the British Mails for Shanghai on arrival
"there to be taken delivery of at the Jetty instead of having
to be first carted to the French Post Office, this request
'was refused although it was known it would have expedited
*the dealing with this Mail by an hour or more*.
3.
This is a matter of much importance to the
British Merchants at Shanghai, and in my opinion there should
be reciprocity in according these conveniences. I would
therefore suggest that the French Postal Authorities be re-
-quested THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P..
icc ...
800.