471
as to this para: 28 of the
Report of
10 of
is the
the Commission Prin: Carr: ] and this
very practice which Lord
Carnarvon suggested
should
be carried out openly through
a
Chinese Consul.
Mr Hart's scheme
the
will be objected to in
Colony by opponents.
Two
classes of
Firstly by those who
believe that the prosperity of Hong Kong depends
on
the
facilities which it affords
for smuggling.
and
who would
sooner run the risk of
"the" "blockade" than see
a
Customs Department established
in the Colony for the
protection of the Chinese Revenues.
Secondly by those who
while they discountenance
smuggling
are opposed to
any
concession whatever to the Chinese Government, and would
regard
the establishment in
Hong Kong of a "Special Station" of the Foreign Inspectorate as
an "imperium in imperio" "thin wedge" menacing
the independence of
the
Colony and
its trade.
The first objection is
one
which has been already
disposed
Page 480
Page 481