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granted for political offences, but I was bound to ascertain whether there would be any great or serious objection to the law of Hong Kong being in the direction desired by the Viceroy of Canton. And I am pleased to note that Your Excellency is of opinion that there is no particular objection to this, after, of course, referring the matter to the Secretary of State.
Your Excellency may rest assured that I would not suggest such an alteration being made without first obtaining from the Chinese Government a substantial "quid pro quo" and it was to this end that I raised the question.
As Your Excellency is aware, the subject of approaching the Central Government at Peking with a view to obtaining an extension of the Colony of Hong Kong on the Heungloor side was broached in an informal and unofficial manner when I was last in Hong Kong, and I was willing to take the matter before the Tsung Li Yamen; but I have received no official intimation from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on the subject, and cannot of course take action till I have done so; and I do not expect that the Foreign Office will move in the matter until they are desired to do so by the Authorities at the Colonial Office.
I am of course very willing to do all I can in the matter, but Your Excellency will appreciate the difficulties that lie in the way of China's ceding territory to England without a substantial quid pro quo. Were this a matter to be settled between England and China alone, the difficulties would not be so great; but the cession of territory in China to form part of a British Colony would immediately be followed by similar demands from the other Great Powers, who daily pose here as subjects for China's gratitude.