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of that indisputable fact. Prince Kung had very plainly given the reason why, in continuation.
no doubt of the Chinese Customs Policy of harassing legitimate traders from this colony, he wished to place a staff of Chinese Officials here. Vide posters here on British Territory viz to collect here duties, which by International usage can properly be leviable only at the Port of arrival.
NR 54 of 6 July 1865, No 42 of 25 July 1869, to 56 of 22 Feby 1870, Chinese 1659 of 19 August.
If unable to effect that object it does not seem that he cared for any other; and I am utterly at a loss to conceive what could have induced Sir Rutherford Alcock to go out of his way to suggest to Prince Kung the expediency of obtaining the right to nominate a Consul at this Port, a matter which had no reference whatever to Prince Kung's original request.
I am not, however, surprised owing to my former experience that, although such right as that of appointing a Chinese Consul here had never been claimed or conceded since the foundation of the colony, it was a novel and strange one. Though the question was one intimately affecting the interests of this place, H.M.'s Minister should have made the suggestion to Prince Kung, and should have transmitted it to the Foreign Office without the knowledge of this Government and without affording me and my colleagues the opportunity of giving an opinion on the subject.