238
The British Government, with the official attributes of a Consul, and nothing but his official position would enable him and his satellites to squeeze even and overawe native craft, actuallycrippling if not annihilating the valuable native coast trade. We could not, except as Official, play into the hands of the Customs so as to obtain either actual prepayment here of duties or security for duties, satisfactory to the Imperial Customs elsewhere. In a word, those official powers which would enable the Chinese Government under guise of a Consul to establish a covert Custom-house here of the worst description with all its attendant evils, would be the creation of the Queen's Government, and, despite Mr Rutherford Alcock's avowed assertion to the Deputation here of the Governor's power to control such a Consul, I maintain it would practically be a mistake beyond correction, lead at least to an indefinite prolongation or multiplication of disputes and differences, the termination of which is declared to be the primary object of a Consul's appointment.
20.
And what justification is offered for dealing such a blow to this Community, whose opinion, as Mr Rutherford Alcock dwells mainly on that of one person, Sir ...
3. Jan 1891.