signal.
It is however a plain expression of this Government's opinion of the impropriety of hoisting such a flag on the occasion in question and of its reluctance to rely on the future discretion of the Officers Commanding the Mercantile Steamers for determining when the display of such Flags might be suitable. I presume that this Government has an unquestionable right to form an opinion on such a subject, and there was nothing to induce me to suppose that the Chinese Consul either did or could object to the position assumed. Otherwise I would at once have forwarded the Correspondence.
I should also in that case have earlier explained that my attention was first brought to the subject by the Admiral Sir Harry Keppel then in harbor with his Flag Ship the Rodney. On the morning that the "Hooghly" was in sight carrying the Japanese flag at the main the Admiral wrote to me in the supposition that the Syscons' brother, then expected, was on board and inquired how I proposed to receive him. Captain Heneage of the "Aroden" actually went in full uniform to the "Hooghly" to pay his respects to the supposed brother of the Syscons, and some annoyance and ridicule were caused by finding that the Japanese National flag had been displayed.