British ships infringing its provisions to be left to the Consular Officers of H. M. and that officers of the Navy be instructed not to interfere.
With regard to cases in the third class, where British vessels are met with on the high seas, Mr. Labouchere understands that they are willing to instruct the officers of H. M. Navy to search such ships in the manner suggested in my letter of the 28th July last, and to transmit in duplicate to the Secretary of State and the Governor, Hong Kong, a declaration of any facts appearing to be in violation of the law ascertained by such search, but that they apprehend inconvenience to H. M. Service and difficulties with foreign powers if the right of seizure given by the Act were supposed to be exercised by officers of the Navy.
If the instructions given to officers limited their intervention to British ships met with on the high seas, Mr. Labouchere does not think it probable that any risk of difficulty with foreign powers could arise from the enforcement of the law.
Foreign Office