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Government begged him to affirm Her Majesty's Government verbally, that I could not understand, or see, why my declining to take on myself the responsibility of sanctioning Major Aldrich's plan should prevent Barracks now in progress being ready for the reception of the Troops to which Your Lordship's remarks refer, and that even had I sanctioned that plan, I was not aware how my doing so was to provide sufficient Barracks.
I have certainly hitherto believed, that the Barracks which had, at Your Lordship's recommendation, been ordered to be built on the other side of the Island, at Kuck hoo, and at Sai wan, would (with what are already in existence) have afforded accommodation for the Troops likely to be stationed in this Colony, and on this impression I had reported that fact to Her Majesty's Government long before I knew that Major Aldrich was forming plans.
It only remains for me to add, that if Your Lordship considers more Barracks to be necessary, I will offer no sort of opposition to their being built. But looking to my Instructions, I cannot reconcile it to my sense of what is due either to Her Majesty's Government, or to private individuals, to carry out Major Aldrich's plan without Special Orders.
I have the honour to be,
Signed Henry Pottinger
True Copy.