My lord,
Hong Kong. June 13. 1843
I am induced by the receipt of Your Lordship's despatch No. 45 of the 4th of March last, to do myself the honor of submitting a Copy of a hasty memorandum which I drew up, on the 13th of last month, for communication to Hwang and Keying, and through them to the Imperial Commissioner Qiying;
Your Lordship will see, that this memorandum embraces the perplexing question of jurisdiction over the Chinese who permanently reside on the Island of Hongkong, and that I have been led by giving full reflection to some verbal remarks made to me by Lieut. Col: Malcolm and which I understood from that Officer embodied the sentiments of H.M's Govt on this difficult subject, to make a stand for jurisdiction over all permanent residents on the Island, being unqualified & complete. I have neither yet heard how Keying has received this demand, nor am I, as at present informed inclined to consider it a "sine qua non" in my pending arrangements, but H.M's Govt may be assured that I am fully sensible of the manifold advantages of carrying the point, and that I will
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Aberdeen KT.