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in return, Chinese Postage stamps should be recognised by British Post Offices and Chinese correspondence, sufficiently franked by such stamps and posted at British Post Offices at Shanghai, Hongkong, etc., for British Possessions and Union Countries, should be passed and forwarded as duly prepaid, as has been agreed to by the French Post Offices and assented to in principle by some others.
What we agree to do is this:
1°. To receive British correspondence for British Possessions at the penny postage rate wherever mailed and send it to the post office by which it is to be sent abroad.
2°. To receive, transmit and distribute British corres- pondence from British possessions either received direct or sent through British post offices at Hongkong, Shanghai, any other place where it is desirable British Post Offices should function;
And what we ask for in return is this:-
3°. That British post offices shall not function inland.
and
4°. That British post offices shall be closed at other places in China except Shanghai and any other point where it is desirable to retain them as being either a mail terminus or a place with specific reasons for the existence of a British Postal Agency, and,
5°. That British post offices in China and at Hongkong shall receive, stamp, and transmit to British Possessions and Union Countries Chinese correspondence received from the Imperial Post Office sufficiently franked with Chinese Postage stamps.
3. I trust I have made my meaning clear in what precedes but if additional explanations are necessary I shall be happy to give them.
I have, &c.
(sd).
ROBERT HART,
Inspector General.
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