appendix. 
5 
plished by a temporary residence at the capital of a few 
months. 
4.—-With regard to the subject of the seventh and fol¬ 
lowing paragraphs of your letter, namely, the negotiation 
of the Commercial Convention provided for by the Treaty of 
Peace, I am directed to observe to you, that the draft of the 
engagement previously submitted by you in a private form, 
was taken into consideration in the Territorial Department, 
and a reference made from thence to the Board of Customs. 
The Governor-General in Council, concurring generally in 
the sentiments expressed by that Board, a copy of whose 
letter will be found in the accompanying extract from the 
proceedings of Government, in the Territorial Department, 
you will regulate your discussions with the Court of Ava, 
in the spirit of the Board’s observations, adopting the 
principle of perfect equality and reciprocity, as stated in 
the third paragraph of your letter, and refraining from 
any attempt to obtain exclusive privileges. These, it is 
probable, would be viewed with jealousy by the Burman 
ministers, and, if conceded, might be obtained at a greater 
sacrifice of what we should have to yield, as an equivalent, 
than would be desirable, as we should thus be deprived of 
turning to better advantage the rights we possess under 
the Treaty to the third and fourth instalments. The 
relinquishments of part or the whole of these instalments, 
as you observe, is what we have to offer in return for 
commercial privileges ; but it appears to his Lordship in 
Council that it would not be politic to propose such an 
equivalent at the present time, as, independently of other 
considerations, we should thereby forego a powerful hold 
we possess upon the Burmese, to obtain from them a 
satisfactory adjustment of some other points of greater im¬ 
portance, perhaps, than the exclusive commercial privileges 
contemplated, which, after all, might never come into 
