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position of having to protest against
the action of a fellow-official with
whom he is personally on the most
friendly terms and has had to address
to the Foreign Office his telegrams in
which he complained that his liberty
of action had been compromised by your
communicating the draft treaty to the
Hong Kong merchants without prior
consultation and before he had taken
the Shanghai merchants into his
confidence on the subject. This also
deprived Sir M. Lampson of the
advantage of an element of surprise in
dealing with the Chinese authorities.
The Foreign Office have also no-failed to
reminded us that this is not the first
time that you have gone further than They consider
safe in communicating to others the
confidential documents forwarded to you
for your personal guidance. You will
no doubt remember the Secretary of State's
telegram