CO129-124 - Sir MacDonnell - 1867 [8-9] — Page 251

in

you

one

of the local Journals.

In that communication

I notice

a mistake of the

Chairman of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce who is reported to have said I had

been successful in convincing you

of

at last

that the

seizure

of the Prince Albert Steamer

was

illegal. It certainly

I

have to

say

was not correct

that I had convinced

you of the illegality of the

seizure.

The

seizure

in the

first instance was necessarily

quite legal though the confiscation of the vessel subsequently, on proof

of

the innocent character of her

may

have been illegal.

presence

at a Non-

Treaty Fort

may

...

It would have been

equally

incorrect to

say

that I had

convinced you of anything

in

favor of the Prince Albert or her unlucky

owner

not be incorrect to

though it might

say

that the

alteration of the penalty of total

forfeiture to a fine was in all probability originated by my appeal to Her Majesty's Government in

copy of which appeal I transmitted to Your Excellency

at the time. As the Consul had closed the case