28th Marek.
Tur reply of the new Hongkong Postmaster-General to our correspondent "A Taxed Britisher," whose letter appears in another column, is the pesterous thing we ever read, and is evident that Commander Hastings, R.N., has not had time ings. As we have pointed out before, the charge for a half-ounce letter from Hongkong to England is 4 cents, and the Shanghai to Hong-aking G cents irish Post Office sticks to the old rate of 10 cents from Shanghai to England, A number of people, our correspondent among them, put 4-cent stamps on their letters and enclose them ina cover which they send through the Imperial Chinese Post, paying 2 cents a half-ounce, so that their letters cost them not over 6 cents each. This is absolutely fair and above-board; the tariff rates are paid to both. Post Offices, only the British Post Office here loses its utterly unwarrantable squeeze of 4 cents a half-ounce; and on this being done, Comm Hastings stigmatised it as an which he cannot be expected to connive at and actively assist, absolutely with no right taxes letters which are already fully stamped.
It is, we think, for the Chamber of Commerce, which has so far, we und: stand, been unable to get any reply to its letter on this subject to the Hongkong Post Office, to take this matter up seriously.—The late Pos master-General at' Hongkong was fir from being a success, but the new one, if we may judge by the evidence, is no improvenient. on' his predecessor.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.