(41657/09).
170
retaliatory measures which might prove equally unwel-
come to British consular officers and to the commanders
of His Majesty's Ships and Squadrons.
As the Governor of Hongkong quotes a passage from
the Colonial Office circular of the 19th May, 1905, Sir
E. Grey gathers that the restriction of consular auth-
ority in the present case has been decided upon as in
accordance with the rule that "the only legitimate
"functions of a foreign Consul in relation to a Colon-
"ial administration are those connected with the wel-
"fare of his nationals as individuals".
Sir E. Grey
is however under the impression that this rule, at the
time when it was agreed upon, was intended to signify
that foreign consular officers in British colonies
should not be permitted to exercise any diplomatic
functions, that they were not to be regarded as re-
presenting their Governments nor as being competent to
speak to the Colonial Authorities on general or politi-
cal matters in the name of their country.
It seems to Sir E. Grey that a political character
can hardly be attributed to purely formal communica-
tions
Esc -June