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out that while the recent Ordinance, making it illegal, where foreign vessels are concerned, to land or ship unmanifested cargo in the Colony, may be an excellent instrument as far as it goes, in practice it is more or less useless, because the local Government consider that it is the duty of the owner, agent or master of a ship to detect the presence of contraband on board, without the intervention of Hongkong's officials. In other words, I stated that the Government have placed a law in their statute book which they apparent- ly have no intention of implementing. Sir William replied that he proposed to give the new scheme in its present form a reasonable trial and added that he would be at all times ready to accord the fullest consideration to any re- presentations from the Chinese Customs should the system fail to stop or check the export of contraband by steamer from Hongkong to China. I believe that only a few cases have been brought to light up to date, when trifling fines were inflicted, which were immediately liquidated; and it is idle to expect satisfactory results unless the Government are willing to inaugurate a preventive service of their own and thus enforce the terms of the Ordinance. But, in any case, the scope of the instrument is too limited and does not embrace native craft, etc. Later on I propose to address the Hongkong Government on the matter, and am prepared, if necessary, to have further conversations with the Governor.
Yours sincerely,
(SIGNED)
F.V. MAZE.