My Lord,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Your Lordship's despatch of the 15th February, referring to a despatch of the 14th February last conveying Earl Russell's instructions to Sir R. Alcock regarding a despatch from the Prince of Kung in which the arrest of a criminal at Hongkong was spoken of.
I have to state that the Chinese Government had no intention of implying that they claimed jurisdiction over the Chinese in Hongkong. Earl Russell's despatch reached Peking some weeks after my despatch in question had been carried to the knowledge of the Prince of Kung by Sir R. Wade, the then British Minister, who submitted it to the Prince.
The Chinese Government was immediately informed, and I have only to regret that it was not at once reported to Your Lordship.
Sir R. Wade requests me to state that when he first read the Prince's note, he drew attention to the obscure passage, but that he and his colleagues then affirmed, as they have now repeated, that...
Copy Peking, May 2/66
Page 366
However, to follow the exact instruction for output format using HTML with proper reordering and proofreading:My Lord,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Your Lordship's despatch of the 15th February, referring to a despatch of the 14th February last conveying Earl Russell's instructions to Sir R. Alcock regarding a despatch from the Prince of Kung in which the arrest of a criminal at Hongkong was spoken of.
The Chinese fort had no intention of implying that they claimed jurisdiction over the Chinese in that Colony.
I have to state that Earl Russell's despatch reached Peking some weeks after my despatch in question had been carried to the knowledge of the Prince of Kung by Sir R. Wade, the then British Minister, who submitted it to the Prince of Kung.
The Chinese Government was immediately informed and I have only to regret that it was not at once reported to Your Lordship.
Sir R. Wade requests me to state that when he first read the Prince's note, he drew attention to the obscure passage, but that he and his colleagues then affirmed, as they have now repeated.
Copy Peking, May 2/66
Page 366