However, I think he has employed this same item which he allows to be capital, to appear as part of the one account. You will see from another despatch, when comparing the last, See 2672/82, this paper has clearly explained the true principle; more need not be said.
Abolition of freight licenses - No, Mr. Barclay stated, para. 4, that he did not clearly understand what was meant by abolishing "links" - the license fees for native craft, while retaining the licensing system under the Harbour Ordinance. I cannot clearly make out what is meant, whether to make all licensing nominal or simply to abolish the fees which are levied.
It appears from the present despatch that the latter is what is intended. I do not quite know why the Chinese shipping should be more favourably treated than the vessels of other nationalities; but the subject wants further consideration both financially and politically.
No reply to M. Ford's increase to salary - It was wrongly stated that this increase had been made without the fact being notified to the Secretary of State. Sir J. Hennessy points out that he did report it in his despatch of 2nd August 1886, No. 14402. If M. Tonnochy, when commenting on the item in 19431/81, had referred to this despatch, the mistake would not have been made. Apologise and authorise the continuance.