B.
Her Majesty's Government, and that the relaxation proposed was the utmost that could be afforded; and express His Excellency's surprise that this Chamber should, with the Treaty Tariff before them, have expected from the Government an active cooperation simply to act in what would be an act of illegality. You conclude by giving His Excellency's promise, that any change or modification in the Proclamation of February under orders from Her Majesty's Government, shall be communicated to the Chamber without loss of time.
In reply, I have to state that the Committee on my letter are unable to trace in yours of the 15th any lurking inclination to engage His Excellency in a discussion on the expediency of the orders of the Home Government. Nothing is further from their intentions. It is very desirable to limit this correspondence to its precise object; and the Committee do not therefore advert to the Treaty stipulations for the regulation of commercial intercourse in Chinese ports, which are alien to the functions of the local government, but confine themselves to the laws affecting trade in Hongkong anterior to the publication of the Proclamations of February and that of February 25th. Saltpetre was an article of legal merchandise in this Colony as any other.
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