CO129-295 - Public Offices - 1899 — Page 725

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further information, than I at present possessed, I

could not give my assent. I would however immediate-

ly enquire the opinions of Sir Henry Blake upon the

subject. I told him that it was a very old tradition

of this country, which had been uniformly observed, to

give asylum and protection to political refugees from

all countries, so long as they behaved themselves in a

legal and peaceable manner; and that the people of

this country, and the House of Commons representing

them, had always shown the extremest jealousy of any

attempt to infringe this tradition. The sole ques-

tion was whether the refugee in question was trying to

make Hong Kong a basis of warlike operations against

the Empire of China. If that accusation could be

established, the complexion of the case would be very

nuch altered; but so long as his conduct was inno-

cent, it was impossible to refuse him asylum in any

colony or territory under the British Crown.

I am, &c.,

(Signed)