H.
Nevertheless I am far from actuating my forced conceptions injurious to General Commerce either in Chinese or foreign interests. On the contrary I merely suggest that differential Tariffs and obstructions of the kind complained of necessarily operate injuriously on general Commerce whether conducted by Chinese or Foreigners, because such obsolete policy tends to force trade from the channels which it would seek with more profit if left to itself.
I. Independent also of this general consideration I presume that Her Majesty's Government when establishing this Colony had no serious intention of placing it in a worse position as a residence for Foreign Merchants than the Treaty Ports. Nevertheless it does appear that the comparative disadvantage under which Hongkong labours in the matter of transhipment of goods must have been overlooked, especially as no one foresaw the possibility much less the probability of the Native Commerce with this Port being destroyed by such an abuse as will actually exist now by the overhauling, seizing, and robbing innocent traders who attempt to maintain even the most honest commercial transactions with this Colony.
I therefore suggest that in the event of any revision of the Treaty of Tientsin or there being any ... taking place or even ...