Consul at Hongkong. 2. In view of the strong objections raised by Sir G. Des Voeux, his Lordship would suggest, for Lord Salisbury's consideration, that it might be desirable to sound the Chinese Government as to pressing for the appointment of a new Deputy Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Customs, who is stationed at Kowloon and is at present residing in the Colony, by birth.
3. I am to refer you to my letter of the same date (not included in this despatch) and to your letter from Mr. Des Voeux (Nov. 1886) regarding the Opium Agreement already referred to. I am also to forward for Lord Salisbury's information a copy of a despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements regarding the proposal of the Chinese Government to appoint a Consul-General instead of a Consul to the Straits Settlements; and also to explain that the question regarding the Siamese Consulate referred to in par. 2 of your despatch No. Smillie was dealt with in the correspondence between this Department and the F.O. in May and July 1886, which is noted in the margin.