392
the Secretary of State's despatch of September 20th 1879 that if there were reason to believe that the assurance given in these cases was not in fact drawn as intended the question of extradition of Chinese Criminals would have to be reconsidered and the Consul seems to anticipate that the assurance will not be in fact observed here the case is one which should be carefully watched to see what happens
W. H. Marsh
C. L. Mualley
18th January 1881.
I have no doubt that the Attorney General's legal view of this case is absolutely correct but before any further step is taken I should like to refer the matter to a Consul in terms of the following minute. Though Mr. Acting Consul Brenan has not sent me the evidence on which the allegations are based I cannot disregard his positive assertion that torture in a horrible form was applied to the thirteen criminals who were delivered up by Mr. Administrator Parch in June 1877 to the Canton authorities.