196
had been declared by the Order in Council
of
the 20th October 1898 to be part and
parcel of
the Colony of Hongkong.
That the new
territory
formally taken over by the Governor of Hongkong the 16th April. That the murder was
understood to have been committed on
the 17th April, and the laws of Hongkong were brought into force in the new
territory
from
Proclamation under that day by Clause 3 of the Order in Council.
that it appeared from the billgram
that it was contended on
the behalf of prisoners that under the terms Convention Her Majesty the Queen had no power to introduce the laws of Hongkong in the territory thereby ceded to Her, and that consequently, the Order in Council
of
the 20th October last, and the Proclamation issued under it were invalid, and that
Chinese law was
still in force in that
territory.
that in
view
of
your
Report of the 17th October last that the Draft Order in Council
as amended and initialled by
you was sufficient and proper for the purpose proposed,
it appeared to you that the contention of the Counsel for the prisoners could not be
sustained, but that
you would be glad to be favoured with our opinion on the subject at the earliest possible date.
That Mr. Lucas
was to enclose to
us in his letter copies of the Convention, the Order in Council, the Despatch
transmitting it to the Governor, and of
our
Report of the 17th October last. A Copy of the Governor's Proclamation
was also enclosed.
That