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further information, than I at present possessed, I could not give my assent. I would however immediately enquire the opinions of Sir Henry Blake upon the subject. I told him that it was a very old tradition of this country, which had been uniformly observed, to give asylum and protection to political refugees from all countries, so long as they behaved themselves in a legal and peaceable manner; and that the people of this country, and the House of Commons representing them, had always shown the extremest jealousy of any attempt to infringe this tradition. The sole question was whether the refugee in question was trying to make Hong Kong a basis of warlike operations against the Empire of China. If that accusation could be established, the complexion of the case would be very much altered; but so long as his conduct was innocent, it was impossible to refuse him asylum in any colony or territory under the British Crown.
I am, &c.,
(Signed)