? 5 : **3 COPY. H.M. Consulate-General, Canton, 9th May, 1901. 253 Your Excellency,
On 15th November, 1900, I received a Despatch from His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong requesting me to enquire whether Your Excellency would have any objection to the presence of an Officer of this Consulate at the trial of prisoners surrendered by the Government of Hongkong under the Extradition Ordinances. Subsequently His Excellency suggested that the Officer to be deputed should be either an Officer of this Consulate sent by me or an Officer of the Hongkong Government. His Excellency further stated that he did not desire that the Officer in question should take any part whatever in the proceedings but that he only desired that he should be present, and stated finally that the same privilege would be granted on the same terms to Your Excellency in the case of criminals surrendered to the Hongkong Government.
Having referred this question to His Britannic Majesty's Minister in Peking I have the honour to inform you that on the 17th Instant, I received telegraphic instructions to bring the matter to Your Excellency's notice.
His Excellency,
Viceroy Tao,
Canton.