!
:
C
L
- 20
No
112.
Fondameres
182.
sir,
C.0
14217
28 APP 13
280
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, 3rd. April, 1913.
I have the honour to transmit for your consider. -ation the enclosed copy of correspondence with His Majesty's Minister at Peking on the subject of the practice whereby the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce addresses directly His Majesty's Minister on questions affecting British interests and
the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps on matters of International
interest.
The Chamber of Commerce carries out the rule,
as far as I am aware, of furnishing this Government with copies of their communications to His Majesty's Minister. It seems rarely to address the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps for I cannot find
that during the last 12 years it has addressed anyone but the
British Minister.
2.
I am of opinion that communications to His
Majesty's Minister addressed by Public Bodies or individuals in
this Colony either to His Majesty's Minister or to Doyen of the
Diplomatic Corps should be sent through the Governor of the Colony.
The indication of a possible claim by the Chinese Chamber of
Commerce to address the British Minister direct is an instance of
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEVIS HARCOURT, M.P.,
&c.,
&c.,
&c...
the