-6-
then
launches. In this connection Mr. F. Fleming, Officer Administering the Government, wrote to Sir John Walsham, His Majesty's Minister at Peking, on the 28th July, 1890, inquiring as to the exact position of the Kowloon Commissioner, what powers he possessed, whom he really represented and to whom he was responsible. Mr. Fleming also addressed Lord Knutsford on the same subject in despatch No. 287 of the 30th July, 1890. reminder was sent to Sir J. Walsham on the 22nd October 1890.: but no reply was ever received from the Peking Legation or from the Colonial Office, and the matter dropped into abeyance.
On the 11th March, 1892, Governor
A
Sir William
Robinson brought before Executive Council the question
of the establishment of the office of the Chinese Maritime Customs in Hong Kong and of its removal to Chinese territory; and, with the advice of the Council, a letter dated 15th March, 1892, was addressed by Mr. W. M. Goodman, the acting Colonial Secretary, to Mr. J.H. McLeary Brown, Commissioner of Customs for Kowloon and District, asking him to fix an carly date for the removal of the Customs establishment to Chinese Kowloon. On the 24th March, 1892, Mr. McLeary Brown replied by direction of Sir. R. Hart that "we can move our office out of Hong Kong forthwith and shall withdraw completely as soon as residences are ready on the Chinese mainland and a Chinese bank established the re
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