24
Collector of Customs, if at a
British Port,
or the Consul, if
at a Foreign Port. - The Correspondence
are usually so able and so
judicious in their reports, that I
will not comment on this
singular passage.
I will merely
take the liberty to remark that nothing is more common than for the Admiral's Flag Ship to be lying at Hong Kong and I
should be glad to know with what countenance the Captain of a ship carrying 80 Guns could
plead as an excuse
for making unlawful Prize of a Foreign Ship
that he acted under the orders
J Consul
all foreign
<
Root can
41
of a Collector of Customs. Even
of this
it could
not be
supposed to relieve them from
pecuniary damages for
their illegal act, the offence given
to a Foreign Power would not
be the less because an act
of violence
had been dictated
by a civil servant of small
account, instead of done by the
proper authority of an Officer intrusted by Her Majesty with the control of Her Armed Forces.
The Correspondence also speak of "Instructions Conveyed by Labouchere to the Admiralty, but
more
Foreign Office