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ht : well in the opinion of the Chinese Community and possesses great personal influence amongst them which, I think, deserved. Moreover his present position in the Foreign Community may be estimated by the strong expression of feeling on the part of the Legislative Council Vide hammer in his favor which was conveyed to Secretary of State particularly given with a full knowledge of all his antecedents.
5. Nevertheless, whatever be Mr Caldwell's personal standing, it could not affect the Government whilst he was not in their employment unless he was a man of such notoriously bad conduct that the government ought to refuse even to have dealings with any parties who had dealings with him. As I have shown however Mr Caldwell's position and character are just the reverse." It would therefore be a strange demand to make on other parties that they should never employ Mr Caldwell. Consequently, I do not suppose that Her Majesty's Government could have intended me to resort to such dictation. Noticially, the language used by the Duke of Buckingham that I should "Sever myself from the agency of Mr Caldwell" clearly implies that His Grace supposed there was some agency undertaken by Mr Caldwell on behalf of this Government.
GR10044/06