offences or crimes, but I confess I cannot see how a large and mixed native Population is to be
kept in order, unless our officers are vested with what on the spot may be termed Police Authority, in contradistinction to Judicial power. The difficulty could be at once reconciled by allowing a Chinese Officer to superintend the Police to reside on the Island to superintend the Chinese people, but that is an arrangement which I shall be loath to adopt if I can possibly avoid it!
Extract of a letter from the Superintending Commissioners to Sir Henry Pottinger dated Yuenkiang, September 1. 1842.
"When the English merchant people are engaged in commerce at the several Ports it will be impossible to secure that there will be no legal disputes between them and the people of the Country.
Formerly, with the English Merchant Vessels at Canton, it has on many occasions been objected that as men from a far country they could not be tried and judged according to Chinese law. And it has been said that it is desired to establish courts for trial and adjudication of the same kind as the