36
37
484
Officials, acting under a system of investigation and punishment involving terrible severities, persons- who have sought refuge
territory; but if, as I
our
hold, all enquiry practicable on
on our
which is
part is
on
really useless, there is only
a choice between this and : much greater evils, vir. the breach of our Treaty-obligations and the permanent alienation of a government, which
might
might, and ought, to be a valuable ally; not to mention that to render Hongkong a safe
refuge for the criminals of China would eventually
render it intolerable as a
residence.
for
other
place of: than criminals, would utterly
destroy
its enormous trade;
and render its
government-
impossible except at great
-expense to the
Imperial Exchequer.
23.
It is to be borne
in