140
9.
Not long dismissed
CA
cavol
qmeu ave
of the Magistrates
it and
apanet
of undoubted ofsanth
robbery of a Fisherman and his boat
the shore of an Island off the South Coast of Hongshing on the ground of want of
Jurisdiction, although the place of assault was much within the three geographical
miles from shore, which, I apprehend must be taken here
or elsewhere to limit
Jurisdiction of the Colonial local Courts.
I believe this decision had an injurious effect on the Chinese, for many of the small
Islands and
Places of resort,
on the South, East, and West,
are either
uninhabited, or at least are
wholly uninhabited,
without
any magisterial
or other authority
to represent any Government.
Enclosure.
1.
I enclose a Map, which I have made
of Hong Kong and the neighbouring Islands, shewing the distance to which
Jurisdiction of three geographical miles
extends from the shores of this Island. There is no British possession, nor so far as I am aware any foreign possession where a line similarly drawn, would exhibit such a varied outline of conflicting jurisdictions.
At the same time it is
impossible to leave these questions uncertain. This Government cannot permit each neighbouring
rock or Island, not
expressly
ceded to it,
to become the resort of Pirates and Robbers or depots of Plunder, merely because the soil is Chinese,
nor on the other hand,
would it be possible to admit that
ICT