603
cases should be taken before the British
Consul in Canton. This misapprehension
arose from the terms of your minute of
the 21st of April in which you described
what had occurred at your interview with
Mr. Wei Han. This passage in your minute
was understood to mean that the proposal
was that investigation at Canton should
take the place of a trial in Hong Kong.
It now appears from paragraph 2 of the
enclosure to your despatch of the 22nd
May that it was not proposed that the adop-
tion of this method of taking evidence
should be regarded as dispensing with the
necessity of a trial in the Colony, and the
observations made upon Mr. Wei Han's sugges-
tion are therefore beside the point.
3. I would invite your careful con-
sideration of the paragraphs of the Foreign
Office letter which set forth the objections
which may be raised to increasing the facili-
ties for extradition between Hong Kong
>
7.0. 19828/11
H.K. cont.
and China, and I should be glad to receive a
your observations on these point's
report from you before you proceed forth
with the negotiations which you have initiated.
i
4. I feel compelled to add that, though
I recognise that your action has been due to
a desire to lose no time in the introduction
of measures calculated to reduce the amount
of crime both in the Colony and in the neigh-
bouring Province of China, I should have mucir
preferred you to await a reply to your pre
first
xious despatch before laying definite pro-
posals before the Chinese authorities.
I have, &c.
and