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the smuggling was not so widespread, and preventive measures would not be so difficult, as he had previously imagined.
He also pointed out the hopelessly antiquated methods of the Native Customs offices established along the coast, and the necessity for their being taken over, or at least
assisted and financed, by the Maritime Customs. The moral
seems to be that the Chinese Government themselves, can do
a great deal to put their own house in order with a view to the better prevention of smuggling along their coasts.
6. I have today also received from Ingram, my
personal liaison officer at Manking, a copy of a letter which Maze has addressed to you about allowing Osborne to
discuss the Lloyd scheme with the Hong Kong authorities,
provided he himself is furnished at the same time with a copy of the scheme for consultation with the Chinese Government. Maze seems to think that Osborne is being kept in the dark about this scheme, because he (Maze) is not in
a position to delegate to Osborne his power to negotiate. Naturally, I do not know your views on this point, but I
can imagine that the method of negotiation suggested by Maze may appear to you unsatisfactory and irregular. It seems to me that supposing Maze himself is unable to visit Hong Kong as he had intended, either the Chinese Government
should instruct Osborne, or some other delegate, to discuss
and if possible come to some agreement locally on a scheme
of dual control such as the Lloyd scheme, for submission eventually to the Chinese Government and to His Majesty's
Government for their approval, or failing that, the scheme
as evolved by your Government should be communicated to
this Legation to be discussed with the Chinese Government
preferably with the assistance of a representative of the
Hong Kong Government.
The former method appears to be
the
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