Copy.
Sir,
Board of Trade
60
March 31, 1896.
7227
Rzo 4 APR 96
By
I am directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st instant, transmitting, by direction of the Marquis of Salisbury a copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking on the subject of the proposed legislation with regard to the Chinese passenger trade at Hong Kong.
In reply the Board desire me to refer you to their letter of the 27th of February last, in which they expressed an opinion that the Ordinance which was then being drafted by the Governor of Hong Kong should not receive H.M.'s consent without further consideration : and to state for H.L.'s consideration that the Board have no further observations to offer at present.
The Under Secretary of State
Foreign Office.
I have
&c
(sgd)
I. R. Wallies.