This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CO. 44802
CONFIDENTIAL.
RECEIVED [November 21.]
SECTION 1,
No. 1.
[88939]
No. 196.)
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.
Foreign Office, November 21, 1906.
(Telegraphic.)
I APPROVE suggestion in penultimate paragraph of your telegram No. 223 of the 19th November, relative to the Rules of Mixed Court at Shanghae. But after negotiating for years respecting the revision of the Rules of 1869 and urging the Chinese Government to expedite it, we could not propose to adhere to those Rules.
An obvious and inconvenient reply would be afforded to the Chinese Government by the last two paragraphs of the collective note of the 14th August, which formed an enclosure in Mr. Carnegie's despatch No. 352.
It appears, moreover, that satisfaction has not been given by the Rules of 1869 coupled with the existing Mixed Court practice.
Custody of male prisoners: I agree with you that we must retain this, and if apprehension is shared by the Judge of the Supreme Court, a statement to the effect that ambiguity in draft amendments shall be interpreted as altering established practice to their custody might be inserted in the reply of the Foreign Representatives to the Chinese Government.
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