CO129-185 - Acting Governor Marsh Governor Hennessy - 1879 [6-12] — Page 274

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-bags, the forwarding of official unpaid correspondence, and of soldiers and seamens

penny

3.

letters.

The empty bags could, I imagine,

be returned either via Brindisi or

Marseilles, without any objection being raised by the Italian of French Post Office.

4.

equally

Covers

The official unpaid

might well be sent by these routes, better in fact.

I am convinced that

many official letters are intended to be sent

via Brindisi or Marseilles but the

senders are

ignorant of the rule requiring. special direction for those routes, and so

the letters are sent via Southampton, losing perhaps a fortnight. An understanding that official unpaid letters would always be sent by first mail would be a great improvement.

57

As to soldiers and sailor's penny

letters, some arrangement would have to be made, and I do not suppose Governments

the

of France and Italy would be unwilling to deal with the question liberally, especially as the amount of such correspondence is comparatively small. At present Her Majesty's Forces are not allowed to send penny letters via elbarseilles and vià Brindisi the charge is 3°. It could probably be arranged to allow frenny the