Made action would entirely shift to legal character, and its legal consequences, by the transfer of jurisdiction. Acts, to interfere the English Law might be visited by the Chinese Judges with extreme penalties, comparatively slight punishments, might regard, as insignificant Offences what they considered by them of very great iniquity.
By the proposed arrangement recognition world actually of the principle that Hong Kong transferred to Great Britain in occupancy Sovereignly – a fact clearly and Stanley perceive is not obscurely maintained by the Commissioners in their communications to Sir Henry Pottinger. His Lordship apprehended, that it may be very difficult to impress the minds of the Chinese that Hong Kong has ceased to be under the jurisdiction of China.
The enforcement of such connexion would be recognised as affecting the Sovereign rights of the Crown in no other respects, Lord Stanley fears that this condition would add much to the difficulty of rendering any assertions of future rights essential.
Lord Stanley B. further wishes that Lord Aberdeen's attention should be drawn to the question whether it could be practicable to carry into effect the arrangements by his despatch Bollinger authority of Parliament.
Some Law there must, evidently, be to protect the Queen's subjects within her allegiance; and Lord Stanley suffers that it is at least doubtful whether authority, inferior to that of Parliament, could establish such Law.
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