CO129-281 - Governor Sir Robinson & Acting Governor Major Gen Black - 1898 [1-3] — Page 426

Enclosure 2.

Colonial Secretary to the Consul for the

COPY.

No.270.

sir,

United States of America.

419

Bron 15 ATT: 09

Colonial Secretary' s Office,

Hongkong, 28th. February, 1898.

I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your

letter No.8 of the 19th. instant and in reply thereto to state

that His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government is

advised that the case referred to clearly came within the jurisdic-

-tion of the Police Magistrate, inasmuch as the offence was con-

-pitted in British territory i.e. on board an American Merchant

Ship whilst lying in the harbour of Hongkong.

His Excellency therefore, regrets that in the

absence of any specific treaty or convention between the United

States of America and Great Britain, he is unable to adopt your

view that the case of assault in question and similar cases should

be tried otherwise than by the legally constituted Court of the

Colony, and having every confidence in the justice administered in

that Court His Excellency sees 00 reason to anticipate any dis-

-turbance of the understanding and confidence existing between the

United States of America and Great Britain.

8 Consul for the

United States of America.

I have &c.,

(Sa.) J. H. Stewart-Lockhart.

Colonial Secretary.