warning regarding this matter as follows:
there,
"Whereas it has been brought
to my knowledge that British subjects of Chinese descent, having all the
appearance of Chinese and speaking like natives, establish themselves in
the interior of the county and permanently take up their residence
acquiring all the privileges of Chinese subjects in violation of
Treaty provisions governing the status and acts of British subjects in
the Chinese dominions, it is herby publicly notified, that anyone SO
offending is liable to be able taken by the Chinese authorities to the
nearest Consular Post to be handed over to the British Consul for
punishment, in the same way as any other class of British subjects would
60 be punished for a similar violation of Treaty.
Judging from British sources however, Britain was very passive
towards the defense of British subjects of Chinese descent in China.
This happened even before 1870, when the principle of perpetual
allegiance was still held in British Nationality Law. an 1865 document
under the 85th section of the Queen's-in-council, imposed on all Chinese
British Subjects who resided or traveled in China "to discard the
Chinese costume and adopt some other dress or costume whereby they may
be readily distinguished from the native population." Otherwise, they
would be considered having the intention "to sink their British
nationality," and therefore they
61
British authorities. The
could not expect
protection from
authorities knew well that many Chinese
British subjects would have a hard time complying with this regulation
because, as one experienced British authority put it, "The Chinese were
willing to suffer prosecution rather than to submit to the tonsure; and
even nowadays to allow the hair to grow is equivalent
Yet the British still blamed her subjects rather than Ching authorities.
In fact, some leading Chinese British subjects, even in Shanghai which
had more contact with foreigners, had petitioned for a more practicable
to
rebellion.
"62
24
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