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Government might on the security of such a toll erect and maintain the Lights Keeping and rendering an account of the money received and expended, in the same way as is done by the Turkish Government in the case of the Lights recently established near Constantinople.
The nations principally concerned will be the United States, France, Holland, Spain and Portugal.
My Lords have obtained the best estimates within their reach of the expense from which it would appear that the cost would not be less than Ten thousand pounds (£10,000) to Twenty thousand pounds (£20,000) for erection; and six thousand pounds (£6000), a year for maintenance, but these estimates will require careful reconsideration with the help of further on the spot information to be obtained on the subject.
On the other hand in order to determine what amount of toll would be sufficient to pay for establishing the Lights and for their future maintenance it would be necessary to procure Returns of the number and tonnage of vessels entering at and clearing from Ports in China including Hong Kong.
and if Lord John Russell considers the above suggestion feasible, My Lords would suggest that Her Majesty's Consuls in China should be instructed
6 thousand
fur wish