CO129-269 - Governor Sir Robinson & Public Offices - 1895 [12] — Page 359

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a circular to the five Consulates at which a Consu-

lar Officer acted as Post Office Agent, informing

them of the transfer of the Agencies to the control

of the Governor of Hong Kong, and pointing out that

a Consular Officer could only be allowed to retain

a Post Office Agency so long as the orders from the

Governor of Hong Kong and the services required of

such Agent did not in any way interfere with the

efficient discharge of his own proper duties.

The question of the withdrawal of the Hong Kong

Agencies has been considered from time to time in

connection with the proposed establishment of a Chi-

nese National Post Office.

In 1887 the matter was

not considered ripe for a decision, and when the

Governor of Hong Kong, on the 22nd Jamary 1889,

asked for information as to whether there was any

prospect of an arrangement being arrived at, by

which the Chinese Government would bake into their

own hands the Postal Agencies at the Treasy Porte,

certain representations having been made which ap-

peared to point to the necessity of increased staff

at one or more of the Ports, in consequence of the

great