Government House, Hongkong, 6th September, 1907.
My Lord,
In his Despatch No. 195 of July 23rd, 1906, Sir M. Nathan requested Your Lordship's approval of a tentative arrangement for establishing a Post Office at Tientsin for the period of one year from October 1st, 1906, with the assistance of the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company, and in the final paragraph of that Despatch he expressed the view that the continuance of the arrangements must depend upon the success of the experiment. Your Lordship's approval was notified by telegram on 9th September, 1906.
2. These arrangements were made on the initiative of the London Chamber of Commerce who urged that English Merchants had to pay a fee of 3d. for delivery of their letters at Tientsin, and that the British postal facilities at Tientsin were inferior to those of all other nations represented at that Port. This Government, which had already undertaken similar Agencies in China,
THE EARL OF ELGIN, K.G.,
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