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Officers if ordered to give up prisoners with the knowledge that they would be subjected to the horrible cruelties of slow torture.
If, in the case put by Sir R. Alcock, prisoners, when convicted on evidence given by witnesses who had not been tortured, refused to confess because they could not be tortured, & so by Chinese Law could not be executed, & became liable to long terms of severe imprisonment, the result would be one not irreconcilable with the sentiments of justice & humanity.
If Lord Stanley concurs in the opinion of Sir R. Alcock that the Chinese cannot be asked to conduct the trial & punishment of prisoners surrendered to them in accordance with our ideas of justice & humanity, & should Lord Stanley also be of opinion that Great Britain cannot consent to surrender pirates captured by her Vessels of War, to undergo the barbarities of Chinese procedure, then, if the repression of Piracy on the Chinese Coasts by our Cruizers is to be continued, it only remains to be considered:
First, - whether the British Govt, or the Colony of Hong Kong, is prepared to undertake the duty of dealing with convicted prisoners.
And, secondly, if so, in what manner, with the assent of the Chinese Govt, the prisoners captured by H. M. Cruisers can best be dealt with by the Tribunals at Hong Kong.
Sir R. Alcock would be able to determine what assistance the Plenipotentiary ought to afford in the trial & production of evidence & whether they should take charge of prisoners before trial & carry out such sentences of imprisonment or death as might be awarded by the Colonial Tribunals.