Hon. Colonial Secretary.
(21)
C. O. 16557
RECO
Real 27 JUN 19
This petition was presented by Chinese subjects to the Chinese Magistrate of the district while it was still Chinese territory. The petitioners give certain reasons for objecting to be handed over to British jurisprudence: some true, as that fines are inflicted for breach of any law; some half true, as the destruction of certain plague-infected houses, without mentioning that the property was paid for; some untrue, as the description of the poisoning of plague patients by arsenic. I do not believe that any plague patients were destroyed by that drug.
But if the petitioners believed what they stated, they had no doubt ample reason in their own minds for praying that there should be no irregular extension of the boundary as settled in Pekin.
I hope that time will prove to those people that their fears are groundless, and we should do everything in our power to bring the fact home to them. I cannot see any grounds for taking any action in the matter against the petitioners. Some of them may be useful members of the district Councils.
506
(Intd.) H.A.B.
8.5.99.