Her Majesty's Government to invite the co-operation of the
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Viceroy in putting an end to a state of affairs so dangerous
to the Chinese Government and so conducive to tumults and rebellions.
2. It may not be convenient to His Excellency the
Viceroy to send a large force, but even a gunboat acting in
conjunction with the officer Commanding Her Majesty's ships
on the West River will demonstrate that the action which Her
Majesty's ships may be forced to take will be in accordance
with the desire of the Government of His Imperial Majesty
the Emperor of China to secure that the treaty rights granted
by His Imperial Majesty to Great Britain shall be maintained,
and that peaceful trade shall have the protection to which it
is entitled in all civilised countries.
I have etc,
(SA) J.H.Stewart Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.