Couriers
The authority of the Major General Commanding alone, subject so far as the Major General may himself be subject to the control of the Civil Government.
It is also intended, as stated by Sir H. Pottinger, that His Excellency should provide the Commissariat Department with Funds from the monies to be received from China, and that Commissary General Coffin should distribute these Funds to the Military and Naval Departments under Warrants from Lord Saltoun as Commanding Officer, and to the Civil (including the Local Government of Hong Kong, Chief Superintendent and Consuls), under similar Warrants from Sir H. Pottinger.
Sir H. Pottinger states that in the then existing state of the money market of China it would be much more advantageous to the Public Service to send the Bullion on to India to be coined into Rupees, and to draw Bills on the Governor General in Council for money to meet the expenses in China, than to raise funds by selling Bullion Silver or the chopped Dollars on the spot; and Sir H. Pottinger suggests that a discretionary power should be given to him to appropriate such portions of the future instalments as may be legitimate to be applied to the best advantage.
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