408
No. 631G.
(Officer Administering the Government to Her Britannic Majesty's Minister, Peking.)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 5th August, 1898.
SIR, I have the honour to acknowledge Your Excellency's despatch of the 11th July, received on the 25th July, enclosing copy of a letter from Sir ROBERT HART in which he sets forth the arrangements necessary in his opinion for the pro- tection of Chinese revenue under the new circumstances created by the recent extension of Hongkong territory.
In reply, I beg to transmit copy of extract from a despatch addressed by me to the Secretary of State for the Colonies dealing seriatim with the numbered paragraphs of the Inspector General's letter.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. BLACK,
Major-General, Administering the Government.
His Excellency
Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD, K.C.B., K.G.M.G., Her Britannic Majesty's Minister,
PEKING.
No. 68/G.
(Officer Administering the Government to Her Britannic Majesty's Minister, Peking.)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 15th August, 1898.
SIR, So as to keep Your Excellency acquainted with the course of events in Hongkong regarding the Convention signed on the 9th June last, I have the honour to enclose copies of a letter from the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce and of my despatch to the Secretary of State transmitting the same.
I need hardly add that the suggestion made therein as to aiding the Imperial Maritime Customs in the collection of Opium duties presupposes as a sine qua non the total withdrawal of Chinese Customs Stations and of their revenue craft from the waters of Hongkong.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. BLACK,
Major-General, Administering the Government.
His Excellency
Sir CLAUDE M. MACDONALD, K.C.B., K.O.M.G., Her Britannic Majesty's Minister,
PEKING.