476 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TH NOVEMBER, 1871.
"No. 55."
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"BRITISH CONSULATE," "CANTON, 9th October, 1871."
SIR,I have the honor to forward a letter to your address which has been handed to me by the Commissioner of Customs.-I have, &c.,
"The Honorable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,"
(Signed,)
"P. J. HUGHES,"
"Consul”
“ Colonial Secretary,”
"HONGKONG."
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"CUSTOM HOUSE," "CANTON, 7th October, 1871."
reports
SIR,In the Hongkong newspapers of the 22nd and 23rd ultimo, I have observed of a meeting of the Legislative Council, in the course of which it was implied that the Registrar General, or his Department, had furnished the Canton Customs with a copy of a confidential document respecting the establishment of a Customs' system in Hongkong.
"So far as the charge relates to this Office, I should be content to allow the matter to pass without comment or contradiction, but, as my silence might possibly be misconstrued, I think it right to address you on the subject, and I have now the honour to assure you most positively, that no such document as that referred to, in original or in copy, in English or in Chinese, has ever been communicated publicly or privately to me, or to the Customs' Depart-
ment in Canton.
"The HAIKUAN declares that he has never seen the document, and, so far as I have been able to ascertain by actual and careful enquiry among the several high Officials of the Fro- vince, no copy has ever reached Canton. The VICEROY assures me that no such letter has ever been brought to his notice, and I am authorized by His Excellency to contradict in the most unqualified and unhesitating manner, the statement or report that any copy or transla- tion of the letter in question, has ever been in his possession, submitted for his perusal, or transmitted by him to Peking.
"All that the VICEROY knows of the matter has been learned in the course of conversation with myself, and my knowledge of the document is confined to such a general idea of its tenour as I have been able to gather from the statements of Unofficial Members of the Council, from general report, and from the articles on the subject which have appeared in the public press.-I have, &c.,
"The Honourable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,"
(Signed,) "E. C. BOWRA,"
"Acting Commissioner of Customs.”
“Colonial Secretary,”
"HONGKONG."
"HONGKONG, 10th October, 1871."
"SIR,-Although as a Member of the Legislative Council, I do not held myself in any way answerable out of Council for anything I may have there said no matter how it may affect individuals, I think it due to you to inform you that the BARON DE MERITENS is the person on whose information I acted at the last meeting of the Legislative Council, when ! asked for information on the subject of the duties of the Registrar General's Department and so framed my question as to imply that a copy of your letter on the blockade of the Port and suggesting a remedy, had found its way to Canton, and that it might have got there from some one in your Department. The BARON DE MERITENS told me and others, that he ha seen in the hands of Mr. Bowna of the Canton Customs a copy of that letter, in English, and further that he saw a Chinese translation of the same letter in the hands of the VICEROT.
"The BARON DE MERITENS has failed to furnish me with the proofs he had promised me in support of his assertion, and as he proposes to leave Hongkong for Europe to-morrow, think it only just towards you to give up his name as that of my informant.
"I have sent a copy of this letter to the BARON DE MERITENS.—I remain, &c.,
"The Honorable CECIL C. SMITH,"
(Signed,)
"P. RYRIE.”
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Registrar General.”
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"CUSTOM HOUSE," CANTON, 16th October, 1871."
ŞIR,I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th insta forwarding for my perusal, copy of a letter, addressed to you by the Honorable P. Rr informing you of the authority on which he had based certain recent official statements a enquiries concerning a confidential document alleged to be in the possession of this Office.