Early in his Command mentioned the matter to him. Long before Admiral Reppel arrived
6. There, 30th April 1867 and little more than two months after my own arrival in this Colony, I drew the attention of the Minister to the expediency of the Chinese Government prohibiting carriage of arms by any persons not having a license for the same. In my despatch to Mr. Bardwell of the 29th May 1866 (Par 5) I called such a measure the most important of all - and "one to which all others were but preparatory and auxiliary" and I most particularly invited the Consul's attention thereto as also to the necessity for some system of Registration.
Vide Enclosure which appears No 2 in Govt to S. S. No 134 in a despatch addressed to him by the Colonial Secretary on the 29 May 1866.
Captain Robertson therefore was aware of my views from the first, and the Correspondence on that subject still expresses the policy which I think would be most effective, if the Chinese Government had honest officers and inclination to assist us in carrying it out.
8. Admiral Sir Henry Reppel arrived here in 1867, and I lost no time in inducing him to read much of the Correspondence connected with the above subject. It was therefore a satisfaction to me to find him likely to cooperate.
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Enclosure in No 8. No 16. may Vide Govt
46 174 May 1866. 7008-66.
fully aware
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