right of governing her dependencies. The Ministry trusts Sir J. Jordan will com- municate the contents of the above to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for his information.
(Seal of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.)
Peking, May 16, 1913.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Expl
CONFIDENTIAL.
C. Q.
25133
Rec?
RF 21 JUL 13
574
Memorandum communicated to Wai-chiao Pu by Sir J. Jordan.
HIS Majesty's Minister has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Wai-chiao Pu's memorandum of the 16th May with reference to the election of members of the National Assembly representing Chinese Resident in British colonies.
It appears from this memorandum that the Chinese Government is under the impression that the British Government's objection is merely to the method by which the election of these representatives was effected. Mis Majesty's Minister would assure the Wai-chiao Pu that such is not the case; His Majesty's Government has a funda- mental objection to the whole principle of representation of Chinese subject to British law in the Parliament of a foreign country, and the method of election is a detail which in no wise affects this opinion. Whether by the present method of election or by any other it is impossible to avoid a state of affairs in which the Chinese Government exercises interference in regions which are under the British Crown. Chinese citizens in British colonies, like the subjects of other nationalities, are amenable while they stay there to British law, and cannot be allowed to import into the country of their domicile the political controversies and domestic rivalries of their country of origin.
His Majesty's Minister is communicating the Wai-chiao Pu's memorandum to His Majesty's Government, but he deems it necessary to correct without delay the misapprehension which underlies the reply of the bureau for the organisation of Parliament.
Peking, May 28, 1913.
nos 1 to 3.
Sir,
44467
aren
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, 26th. June, 1913.
Referring to my Confidential Despatch of 17th.
May, I have the honour to transuit for your information copies of
the correspondence noted in the margin.
وا
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient,
humble servant,
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LE IS HARCOURT, M.P.,
&C.
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&c...
Governor,&c..
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