of purity
care must be taken to draw the distinction between those who try violence on the high seas, properly so called, and those robberies on or near the coast, which should be controlled by the Chinese Police, and not by His ships; and they are to bear in mind that as a general rule their interference is to be confined to cases in which British interests are affected.
Article 43
Persons although taken "flagrante delicto" on the high seas, are not to be punished except by the sentence of a court of law. If within Chinese jurisdiction they are to be handed over to the Chinese authorities. In the latter case, an express stipulation is to be made with the said authorities, that
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that the pirates receive a fair trial and are not subjected to torture or any punishment repugnant to the usages of civilised nations.