The alternatives which he mentions are:
1st - That H.M. Govt could require that criminals should not be executed under the process of slow Torture, leaving Officials to arrive at the guilt or innocence of the prisoners according to their own customs, including the use of torture upon the prisoners & witnesses in order to obtain conviction & confession by the criminal before sentence of Death is carried out.
2nd - The other alternative is that all the pirates captured should be taken to Hongkong for trial in the British Courts, at the expense of H.M. Govt & to the inconvenience of the Public Service, both naval & civil.
Upon these two courses, their Lordships would remark that although the trial of prisoners without the use of torture, as stated by Sir R. Alcock, may be regarded by the Chinese as an unwarrantable interference with their criminal legislation, likely to fail, on the other hand it should be remembered that the crime of Piracy on the Chinese Coasts has attained such a scale that Foreign Powers have been obliged to assist the Chinese Govt to maintain a force for the repression of the evil on coasts which should have been efficiently protected by their arms, both by sea & land.
Their Lordships cannot conceal the repugnance which would be felt by their Officers...
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