CO129-287 - Public Offices & Others - 1898 — Page 378

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Law Officers December 13, 1895

FOREIGN OFFICE,

Past 7 001

October 5, 1898.

Sir:-

I am directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to

transmit to you, to be laid before Mr. Secretary

Chamberlain, copies of two despatches from Her Majes-

ty's Minister at Peking, relative to a question which

has been raised by Her Majesty's Consul at Canton

respecting the protection of British Companies regis-

tered in Hongkong though promoted by Chinese subjects.

Lord Salisbury entirely concurs in the view ex-

pressed by Sir Claude MacDonald in his despatch of

August 3rd, that the possibility of every firm in Can-

ton being made nominally British with an obligation

on the Consuls part to extend protection to it, is one

which cannot be contemplated without serious misgiving

and would inevitably give rise to serious abuses.

It appears to His Lordship that it is out of the

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

question

!