CO129-185 - Acting Governor Marsh Governor Hennessy - 1879 [6-12] — Page 544

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to the

the Chinese Government agreed appointment of a Commission, to consist

officer of the Government, and a Chinese

of a British Consul, an

tong trong

official of equal rank, in order to the

istablishment of some system that should enable the Chinese Government to protect

its own pusnue without prejudice to the interests of the Colony, Certain rules were

framed by the Governor General Live in concert with

the duperintendent of Customs, in the fitness of which the late Consul Sir Brooke Rosection concurring, hi forwarded them to the Governor of Hong Kong. When I

was at Hong Kong in the spring, the

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Governor informed me that he did not approve

of them for the simple reason that they do not remove what has been throughout complained of as the chief grievance of the Colony, the maintenance of the three Custom Houses cctablished to collect

revenue from the punks trading with it.

The right of the Government of

China to plant stations on its own

territory to collect revenue due to it by the Chinese trader, I have never disputed,

but the cordon of Custom Houses that watches Hong Kong, while it harasses the junk trade of the Colony in a manuir affronting to its Government, so far can learn, is but of small advantage to

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