175
be imposed on Sir Henry Pottinger with reference to building houses for the accommodation of the Consular Establishments in the outports of China, Lord Aberdeen apprehends that nothing more can be said to Sir Henry Pottinger on this point than to caution him against undertaking any such work without previous reference home,
unless circumstances should render it impossible or inexpedient to incur the delay which such a reference would involve. Her Majesty's Govt have no means of judging whether it would be possible even for a person on the spot to obtain suitable residences for the Consular establishments by any other course than that of building them; and if so, it might be highly inconvenient to delay the settlement of the Consular Establishments at the outports, until instructions and authority could be received from home which would enable suitable residences to be provided for the execution of the Public business.
With respect to the establishments to be maintained in the Island of Hong Kong, and the means of defraying the expense thereof, Lord Aberdeen would suggest to the Board of Treasury that Their Lordships' wishes and expectations in those respects should be communicated to Lord Stanley, and that the result of such communication should, if necessary, be made known to this office by
Page 180
Page 181