CO129-209 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1883 [5] — Page 13

16

12

177

was a

part of the ordinary judicial. -procedure in China, and that ____

Chinese criminalo, surrendered by the Government of Hongkong would be liable to it. I made it

my business to visit with Mr.Hewlett incognito the Chief Criminal Court

at Canton; and I can confirm the

his description of it accuracy in the official documents which

were

of

forwarded to Your Lordship.

in 167 March's despatch W:30 of the

th.

14

February ultimo. I saw

ew myself

several burglars and highway---

robbers

robbers of the most ruffianly appearance, -fastened in a painful Kneeling position,

by cords attached to their thumbs and big toes, to upright stakes, exactly.

the manner

in

graphically depicted by

Mr Hewlett. It was not, I own, quite

clear to me whether these criminals

were

being tortured in this

extort confession

to

way

or evidence, or as

- part of their sentence. If the latter,

the punishment

now

was not so severe as

properly inflicted

5146

the flogging

for

crimes of violence in

England;

probably

not

if the former, the torture was