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of the Attorney General of the Colony transmitted in your letter of the 23rd instant on the subject of the ordinance passed by the Legislature of that Colony No. 4 of 18551 to establish a proper system of registration.
for Colonial vessels are
I am of opinion that in the peculiar circumstances of the Colony of Hong Kong the ordinance may properly be left to its operation.
[ I am at the same time to suggest, for the consideration of Our Secretary Labouchere, whether as some doubts may be entertained as to the lawfulness of the use of the British Flag in vessels registered in the name of Chinese residents as provided by the ordinance it might not be desirable that an ordinance should be