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of a demand for assistance under Treaty,
especially might
when the result of their decision be to involve this country in hostility
with China.-
The
Lord Aberdeen is also of opinion that all applications for assistance in pursuance of such a compact must be addressed directly by Portuguese Government to that of Great
Britain; and that the local authorities, both British and Portuguese,
in China, must be considered as invested with no
power whatever to act
of their own authority,
or at their own discretion, in such a matter.
Further,
His Lordship conceives
that this opinion and determination of Her Majesty's Government ought to be explicitly made known both to the British and Portuguese Authorities
in China. Otherwise the latter might fall into the error of assuming a tone in their communications with the Chinese authorities which might lead to acts of violence being directed against the settlement of Macao;
while the former might, on their part, consider themselves bound to interpose in the event of such acts of violence being committed, without
previously
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