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9
as he
may
think that such
an
Official
could, if not openly yet actually levy how? secretly the duties which he seeks to
levy in Hongkong.
10
India China is not in the same
position
as other Treaty Powers either to
demand or
expect such a concession, because
all the diplomatic relations of China with
the rest of the world are the result of
special treaty stipulations imposed by
force of
arms,
whilst
China unlike France
on the other hand-
or other Treaty Powers
has not thrown open her country to foreigners,
nor
admitted Foreign Commerce, except
in a narrow and limited
manner.
disqualifying
her thereby from expecting those rights which
she withholds from others, especially
as she would be
whilst she also fails to take advantage
of the Treaty Provision which enables her to establish a resident Minister at
St James's
11. Although the above considerations
dispose of any right or just expectation of China in the matter we should have felt
not
objection to the concession if it certain to be attended with serious injury both to Native and Foreign interests here. a Consul at Hong Kong, whilst he ought in rule to be useless for China's object of collecting Chinese taxes, would certainly cause most serious alarm to all the native population, whose residence here has hitherto afforded them comparative immunity from the petty exaction and squeezing of their