CO885-(11-13) — Page 694

19,787.

SIR,

No. 60.

(STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.)

LAW OFFICERS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Royal Courts of Justice, November 13, 1885. We were honoured with Mr. Wingfield's letter of the 9th instant, stating that he was directed to inform us that a proposal had been made that Part II. of the Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881, should be applied to British India and the Colonies of Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, Hong Kong, Mauritius, and Labuan, as a group of British possessions; but that the Indian Government had expressed the opinion that it would be best to exclude from the proposed group Hong Kong, Mauritius, and Labuan, as being too distant from British India to be grouped for the purposes of Part II. of the Act.

That you were disposed to think it desirable that Part II. of the Act should be applied to British India, Ceylon, and the Straits Settlements as one group, and by a separate Order in Council to the Straits Settlements, Hong Kong, and Labuan as another group of possessions, if that could be done under the Act.

That Mr. Wingfield was to request that we would advise you whether a British possession, as in this instance the Straits Settlements,-could be included in two or more separate groups of possessions for the purposes of Part II. of the Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881.

In compliance with the request contained in Mr. Wingfield's letter, we have the honour to

Report

That we are of opinion that a British possession, as in this instance the Straits Settlements, can be included in two or more separate groups of possessions for the purposes of Part II. of the Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881.

We have, &c., (Signed) RICHARD E. WEBSTER. J. E. GORST.

The Right Honourable Colonel Stanley, M.P.

&c.

&c.

&c.

▲ 15927-58. 35.-19/85.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.8

Reference :-

885

13 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO