the
gravity of the question.
aware that the infraction
of British Territory authorised by Your Excellency in the first instance, and that until I informed Your Excellency of it
responsibility for the act attached to Your Excellency, but it should promptly
have been
disclaimed
and the Hongkong Government
will be scarcely pleased at, after
some
delay, receiving despatch expressing no regret for the occurrence, but simply
saying that Your Excellency
have
written to the Commissioner to
enquire whether the allegation be
true or not.
As ample time has elapsed for reference to the
Commissioner at Kowloon and to
obtain full replies from him, I must ask for a definite reply,
embodying what explanations Your Excellency may
be prepared
to offer, without further delay, to forward the present reply to the Hong Kong Government, scarcely tend to the friendly settlement of the case, and to leave the Hongkong Government's
despatch
unanswered, would equally complicate the affair.
I have &c.
C. Alabaster, Consul.