and a half percent in excess of twenty-five pounds in
connection with disbursements by a Consular Officer in
any single transaction, without special authority from
the Department of His Majesty's Government concerned, who
would, in consultation with the Foreign Office consider
whether the amount of work and responsibility involved
justified the grant of remuneration on a larger scale.
3. The Secretary of State also decided that the total
amount of commission on disbursements at any one place on
behalf of any one Government Department during any one
calendar year should not exceed one hundred pounds
without similar authority.
£25.
Copy.
No.25.
P.0.Box 46.
(161426).
H. B. M. CONSULATE,
SAIGON,
£100.
4. Lord Curzon is aware that it is not the usual
practice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to pay
commissions on transactions of this nature, but he feels
that, in view of the particular difficulties surmounted by
Mr.Fitzmaurice, it is possible that the Hong Kong Government
may be prepared to make an exception in this case.
I am,
Sir,
Your most obedient,
humble Servant,
WathaGoming
Sir,
COCHIN-CHINA.
October 20th, 1919.
670
I have the honour to invite your reference to my despatch
No.21 of the 15th September 1919 regarding the assistance
given by me to the Colonial Governments of the Straits Settle-
ments and Hongkong with respect to the purchase of rice here on
their behalf for Food Control purposes, and to Foreign Office
Circulars 24463/16K of March 1st 1916 and 137598/250/K of
August 1918 regarding commissions on disbursements made by Con-
sular officers and remuneration for services rendered in respect
of work carried out on behalf of other Departments of His
Majesty's Government.
In my despatch mentioned particulars were given of the
circumstances in which I purchased 27,500 tons of rice, at
first for the Government of the Straits Settlements, of which
rice half was subsequently transferred to the Government of Hongkong and half to the Government of the Netherlands East
Indies.
The operations alluded to in that despatch are now ap- proaching conclusion and shipment to Hongkong of all the rice purchased by that Government will be completed within about a fortnight. The time therefore seems to have arrived when I may reasonably venture to submit for your consideration, in accord- ance with the directions in your Circular of August 21st 1918,
an/
The Right Honourable,
A.J.Balfour, O.M., M.P.,
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Office,
London.
i