4
331
5
Mr Alabaster direct requesting him to intervene in regard to the recovery of certain sums paid by them to the Chinese Government, on the ground that the consideration on which they had been paid had not been carried out. Mr Alabaster did not decline to do so, but was somewhat annoyed at the tone of the letter addressed to him, and wrote to the Acting Colonial Secretary here intimating that the communication should have been sent through this Government. I accordingly caused Messrs. Butterfield and Swire to be informed, but they stated in their reply that they were not cognizant of any regulation which prevents them from addressing the Consul direct should they desire to do so.
Other cases, and probably of a more important nature