CO129-238 - Governor Des Voeus - 1888 [7-8] — Page 488

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37

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Officials, acting under a system of investigation and punishment involving terrible severities, persons- who have sought refuge

territory; but if, as I

our

hold, all enquiry practicable on

on our

which is

part is

on

really useless, there is only

a choice between this and : much greater evils, vir. the breach of our Treaty-obligations and the permanent alienation of a government, which

might

might, and ought, to be a valuable ally; not to mention that to render Hongkong a safe

refuge for the criminals of China would eventually

render it intolerable as a

residence.

for

other

place of: than criminals, would utterly

destroy

its enormous trade;

and render its

government-

impossible except at great

-expense to the

Imperial Exchequer.

23.

It is to be borne

in