As Anglo-Saxon British Subjects. It is alleged at the time that they have claimed the right to inherit & acquire property; but their right to do this, as I have explained to the grand secretary Wenxiang, I have the power to dispute.
On the other hand, I have no doubt that many of them, while being as little in common with us as any thorough Chinese, do make use of their status in a way that irritates the feelings of the Chinese Authorities.
The discussion recorded in Sir R. Alcock's despatches proves this. It proves too, to my mind, how cautious we must be in examining the appeals of our Anglo-Chinese Subjects where a grievance is alleged. The Chinese Govt in 1867 insisted upon it that unless these men ceased to shave the head & wear tails, a change of costume would be necessary. The same remark has just been made here to me.
The Anglo-Chinese contended at first that to give up the tail would be the greatest inconvenience to them, would expose them to ridicule &c. But then, as the discussion proceeded, they declared themselves perfectly ready to give up the tresses & tail, and instead to grow their hair long from the temples. This was the coiffure (as they took care to observe) of the late dynasty, adopted by the Taiping rebels & by everybody of note who rebelled during their era against the Govt. Of course, no suggestion could be more unpalatable than the above.