Major-General d'Aquilar,
as well as
placed amongst the Archives of the Government of Hongkong; but with
reference to the concluding passage of it, I trust Your Lordship will
me
for respectfully reporting
pardon me that I have resolved
after full
consideration - not to make
any
Communication to the Portuguese Authorities, until I am honored
with Your Lordship's further Commands. Your Lordship will, I doubt not, perceive that I could only make such a communication to the Portuguese,
admission, however carefully worded, that they were deemed to be entitled by treaty to such assistance or interposition, although neither could be without special Orders from England;
Authorities attended with an
afforded
and
and looking
336
to the general tone and style of the local Government of Macao, and to the class of persons who
compose
the
Members
of
the majority of
the Senate, I am
decidedly of opinion, that a very dangerous use might, and most probably would be made
of such
or
admission, by divulging it perhaps in intentionally vague, exaggerated terms - to the Chinese Authorities, thereby exciting their natural alarm and suspicion to the great injury of British interests in this Mighty Empire, in which the confidence of all ranks (from the Emperor downwards)
in our
good faith and rigid
observance of our Engagements
is
daily gaining ground, and