CO129-151 - Lieut Governor Whitfield - 1871 [7-8] — Page 375

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7.

interest of the Colonists and wher

British Traders, in any I may subunit to

you.

observations

In a

recent article I noticed that one

the Colonial journals advocated I accepitance of

a scheme

of

propanded

by Mr Thomas Diet, Commissioner of Customs at Thanghai, a very

able man, one

which

wae.

of the conditions of

that in return

for

the

concession of a Customs' station at

the

over

to

Donghing, a percentago collection should be paid the Colary. I do not think this arrangement likely to find favour with the central Government here,

later be

which must somer

Gr

informed of it. It

+ apeathing of

appears

to me,

course under correction,

that if the concession of a Customs '

station at Wongtong

imagine

it must, the

secure, as

I

suspension of the Chinese cruiser scheme, it will be well worth the Colony's while to purchase its suspension at the price. I will add, that if the Colony do not object to a of the kind indicated, its interests will, in

concession

my judgment, be best served by matting the concesion as comprehensive as possible. In esther words, the

whether as

aw

opinim

more revenue, opium duties, or listin or under äher categories,