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I have no doubt stated in N. 77, and - but Her Majesty's Government will learn with extreme surprise – when all the circumstances are taken into consideration, that the Original of the (printed) "Returns relative to Prog - Money (China)," which accompanied Your Lordship's Despatch was never shown to me, and that I never even heard of such a paper, until Your Lordship's Despatch came to hand.
I also enclose a Copy of a letter by Messrs. Chimmo and Woosnam (the only two Public Agents at this place) from which it will be seen that those Gentlemen were equally with myself ignorant of the existence of such a document.
I am quite unable to account for Captain Balfour's having disguised from me - and also from any of his Colleagues - his share in the preparation of this unauthorized document. I presume he acted under the directions of Lieut-General Sir Hugh Gough, and perhaps the necessary obedience to his immediate Superior rendered it proper that he should do so, but that appears to me to be no sufficient reason why he should have concealed from me what he had done, and have allowed me to address Your Lordship, repeatedly, in a style that I now feel must have led Her Majesty's Government to think that I was either interfering with what I had no business with, or wilfully practising deception.