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I attach translation of a letter addressed by the Senior
Magistrate to the Senior Consul on the subject, with every
word of which I agree.
I also attach copy of a letter addressed to the
Senior Consul by the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs
dealing with the same matter. It will be seen that not
only are we attacking the registration of Chinese as foreign
proteges, but that we propose to go behind certificates of
foreign nationality, and this will naturally affect all
consulates to some extent. It appears that any Chinese can
by means of a false affidavit to the effect that he was born in
Macao obtain a certificate of Portuguese nationality from the
Macao Court, which will entitle him to registration as a
Portuguese citizen in any Portuguese consulate in China, and
many of the holders of these certificates are reported never to
have been near Macao. The Portuguese consul general recognises
the abuse to which this system is exposed, but says he cannot
go behind a decree of the Macao Court. There seems, however,
no reason why the Mixed Court should not go behind such a
decree, and take jurisdiction over a person of Chinese parentage,
even if born in Macao, Hongkong etc., unless he can show
that he has genuinely renounced his Chinese nationality.
proof of such renunciation the Court would probably be
prepared to accept evidence such as;
that the person was domiciled in the place named;
In
that