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Authorities at Houghing. The only reply could give was that Hongkong being a free port, vessels could go and come without the cognizance of the Colonial Office, and that the act of forbidding the importation complained of rested quite as much with the Chinese Authorities of these places as with those of any other nation, and that he had better take the initiative by "looking at home" first before he complained of what was done abroad; that, as regarded the Mandarins, he agreed with him that the Port of Houghing had not as yet been formally declared open, and that he had to recognise it as a place of loading in obedience to instructions from H. His Excellency on the subject.
Shortly after our last conversation, I received a despatch from H. E. inclosing copy of a Circular despatch he had addressed to the Authorities on the West Coast, copies of which I have the honour to inclose; and deeming it was important that the latter should be generally known, in order that if any vessel was seized there might be no want of notice, the Political Colonial Secretary of Kughing undertook to insert the translation of the Despatch in the Gazette of that Colony, which at first he promised to do, but subsequently I received a Despatch from him stating that in further...