GOFY
Enclosure Eo. 9 in dato 30, 9% of Oot bar 23. 1985.
179
sir,
To
Tomul dirke to the Commissioner for fo eiga ffairs.
British Cons uiave
September 16, 1926.
I have the honour to saknowleäge the receipt of your letter
of the 4th. instant in which you refuse to return the firearms and
ammunition removed from Er. Teo Tee Swee's house by the police in
the early morning of August & laat, on the ground that he made no
application for any import permit for those articles and that
the cartridges in his possession were in exeese of the gamber
allowed.
In reply, I beg to inform you that no regulation exists
which prevents British subjecte from purobesing in China arm
for self-defense or for sporting purpos@5. Further, the number
of both pistol and sporting cartridges taken from Mr. Teo Yee
Swee by the police was far less than the mumber allowed to be
imported by a British subject in one year (50% and 3,000 rounds
respectively).
in any case, I must remind you that if a British subject
breaks any law or regulation, he can only be dealt with by his
he Chinese own authorities; and in no circumstances have
police the right to search his house and remove his proverty
from his possession. If it is considered that feo Tee
Swee her in any way acted illegally, the proper course is to
bring an action against him in this dourt.
I must therefore renew my demand that the firearms and
ammunition, as well as all the other articles, illegally
removed by the police from Mr. Too Yes Swee's house may be
sent to this Consulate without further delay.
I