CO129-127 - Public Offices - 1867 — Page 268

at Your Excellency's suggestion I am not unwilling to make

the defendant,

to

give

decision of

his

Casc

ever

an

after

buy

the

effort

the

Come

- petent Authorities, another opportunity of proving the veracity of his shake-

-ments; I have mpelf grave

on

doubts

the subject from the absence of all patisfactory evidence in the first

instance

I must add that looking at

the prevalence of smuggling

an

the

Western Coast, and the grave prejudice

to the Chinese Revenue it entails, I

think in amy

found

ли

کات

case

where a vessel

non

·

breaky Pouk,

the

266

the presumption is entirely against the of the parties concerned, and

innocence

consequently that the whole

onus

of

forewing it by undoubted widence

justly

les

upon them, and on failure there of the Chinese Government is perfectly entitled to inflict the highest penalty of confiscation.

Jam

soury

I cannot

Concur

with Your Excellency in regarding former acts of leniences a just plea against amy subsequent severity for a repetition of the offence, and con a =timation of the

wrong by other vessels. I confess I think it affords

on the contrary a phrong argument