CO129-170 - Sir Kennedy - 1875 [1-3] -- Acting Governor Austin - 1875 [3-6] — Page 593

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the

1 of $10,000. This action was handed over in the monal way

to the Chimese arthiorities for investigation and " decision. As the latter, after a long and protracted. correspondence finally replied that the debtors who belonged to different districts could not be found and as there were indications, that Chmm shum was

living at the time at the village of Kaokong and had bribed the rumers and officials in search of him, the I German Consulate referred the case to the I German

In Regation at Peking.

consequence of there step Tamno li Tannen issued the strictest orders to the

provincial authorities to have the case in issue

ted and decided.

investigated

the

In the month of February 1875 the District Magistrate

that chun shum against

of Nam hoi (Canton) informed

were

me

I whom proceedings

principally directed, had absconded from Laokong. from other sources I heard that he fled to HongKong, but that his paternal mele Chnuchin had been arrested and conducted to Canton. On being. examined Chim chin had deposed that chim shum

his nephew possessed a house in the village of Kaokong.

I

distinctly called the attention of the District

e fact, that the firm of Vogel Hagedorn

Magistrate

if had no

to the fact,

Slann whatever against Chun chin the

uncle, but the Magistrate designated chim chin responsible as paternal mele according to chimese

expression meaning so far

Custom, an

understand that the unde was

as

responsible for

the appearance of his nephew Chum shum before the Magistrate I acknowledged the principle, that the question, whether the Chinese authorities were authorised in imprisoning the Chinese subject Chm. chin or not had to be decided by themselves

according to Chinese law and enstom but I

informed him that the prisoner

was not detained.

al

my

mstance

Mr.

Dennys in

the

rame

of Chun shum asked

me, both orally and in writing to request the release of the prisoner from the Chinese authorities. I refused to do so, the matter resting entirely in the hand of Chinese,

of Chinese authorities who would have

been prratified in declaring that the failure of

their