· continued intention on the part of Her Majesty's Government to maintain the occupation of this Island in the interest of British Commerce, it will be expedient that additional precautions should be taken in reference to these matters.
As immediately connected with the subject referred to me by Your Grace I enclose printed copy of a despatch from Sir Rutherford Alcock to Her Majesty's Consuls in China, in which the question is discussed of largely increasing the number of subsidiary Treaty Ports coupled with the right of trading directly from any of them with all the rest, either in Foreign or Native vessels. Supposing such carried, the exclusion of Hong Kong, now the principal seat of Commercial transactions, from the advantages of such an arrangement would operate injuriously in proportion as the field of Commerce was enlarged without admitting Hongkong thereto on equal terms.
Daily Press 11th January 1869.
As Sir Rutherford Alcock therefore makes no allusion to this Port, when treating of that subject, and as it seems unlikely that he would himself initiate any action favourable to Hongkong I must earnestly entreat Your Grace to draw attention in the proper quarter to the necessity for ensuring a fair consideration to the claims of this Colony no less than those of any Chinese Port, in any such measure.
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