questioned her at great length presence, and the woman stated that She had been treated with great cruelty by her Canton Master who used to beat her and also give her insufficient food. Her repugnance to returning to Canton was most marked. She even stated that she preferred dying to being sent back.
Whether she came away from her Master's house at Canton and was afterwards brought here entirely with her free consent may perhaps be doubtful, though many circumstances render it probable that she was not kidnapped from thence in the ordinary sense of the term. There is however no room whatever to doubt that she now freely elects to remain here- and whilst she conducts herself peaceably she is entitled to and shall receive all the protection which this Government can afford her
8. Under these circumstances I perceive that His Excellency is unable to accede to your request for the seizure and deportation of the young woman, not merely because he would be unwilling to do so, but that he would be equally unable to entertain such proposal, if proposed by the Emperor himself and every Mandarin in China.
He feels a pride in refusing to comply with such a demand. He is thinking that to accede to it would cause his immediate recall from an office whose duties he had
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