VM SY
The time.
63
Most obedient
To Sir John Bowring, when the Foreign Office
Answer on the Draft - Communicated
To that Department for their concurrence.
7. FP 31 Dec.
I have made a slight alteration
In the draft despatch to him J. Bowring to announce this decision.
I may observe that the Opinion of the Law Offices of 16 Dec (Par 3) was not communicated to the Admiralty in our letter of 24th Dec and I do not now revert to the subject, but I think that were it to be raised again it would be well to communicate to the Admiralty whether they were asked to state sufficient reason to alter and extend their instructions to Captains of Ships of War as the Chinese passed.
They do not. Answer that they did not.
I think that it will only remain to communicate this decision to ...
That opinion 27 Jan?.
ENT.
Foreign Office