handed over for trial to Chinese officers
[[Mandarins]
17
who are
to reside at the Town of Kowloon, on the Peninsula of Kaulung, or Hongkong,
but it being obviously necessary that the British Authorities on the Island, where
Mandarins cannot be allowed to reside, should possess the power of punishing persons for trifling offences, such as theft, Assault, Shoplifting, picking Pockets, Gambling, Licentiousness, Drunkenness &c., it must be clearly understood that that Power is reserved to them. It
8. His Plenipotentiary takes this occasion to explain to Their Excellencies, the Imperial Commissioners
that
that, with respect to these
inferior
113
trifling offences, the punishments awarded by The Laws of England and China are very similar, consisting of Fines, Flogging, and Temporary Imprisonment for greater or
lesser periods; but that no kind of Torture, or extortion of Confession of Guilt, is allowed in British Courts. Their Excellencies are no doubt likewise acquainted with the fact, that large Colonies of Chinese People have long been settled and living happily under the British Government, at many places such as Singapore, Malacca, Penang, Assam, Calcutta, the Mauritius &c., to all of which they have voluntarily
gone.