:
:
595
the establishment of a new international service.
If the
Imperial Maritime Customs were charged, as is suggested,
with the suppression of piracy it would be for them to pre
pare a scheme for carrying this out which should be com-
municated to His Majesty's Government, and it would be advis-
able that the officers of His Majesty's gunboats on the
Canton River should have full cognizance of this scheme and
be directed to report periodically that the patrolling of
the rivers and other proceedings it laid down were conduct-
ed in accordance with it. Hitherto as far as I am aware the
carrying out of the engagements of the Cantonese authori-
ties has not been subject to supervision of this nature.
For instance when in 1902 representations were made to His
Majesty's Minister at Peking in the matter of piracy on the
West River arrangements were made to patrol the delta with
two Chinese gunboats under European command. If ever
effect was given to these arrangements they have long
ceased to be in force.
7.
I trust I shall not be considered to be
travelling outside my proper sphere in making the suggestion
contained in this despatch, but it is the merchants and
people of this Colony who are primarily affected by lawless-
ness in the neighbouring provinces of China, and it is to
this Government that those merchants and people look to
to