reached England where Chinese criminals intended by the tyranny of the Government to be surrendered to the Canton authorities had frequently suffered the punishment of death by slow degrees.
The Government and people of England, indeed those of every Western nation, while still accepting the necessity of capital punishment in the case of particular crimes, have learned to regard with horror the subjection of a prisoner to torture when under examination, or if he be found guilty and sentenced to death, the prolongation of his pain in the execution of the sentence.
The records of this Government now show that the feeling entertained by foreign nations on these points has been brought to Your Excellency's attention, and Your Excellency will not therefore be surprised to find that His Majesty's Government, however anxious to fulfil its obligations under treaties, is most anxious to guard itself against participation in proceedings the result of which is at variance with the laws of humanity as understood by Christian States.
His Majesty's Government is therefore desirous that you should promise verbally that in deference to the feeling of the British Government, criminals surrendered by a British authority should not be tortured on trial, or that if any such were put to death, the aggravation of the penalty to offensive torture should be precluded. His Majesty's Government necessarily desires that this assurance should be given as formally as possible, and I leave it to Your Excellency to decide in what form the guarantee shall be respected.
(Signed) Rutherford Alcock