CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7] — Page 204

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of a British Official at the trial, the Consul-General addros-

sed a Despatch to His Majesty's Minister at Peking, enclosing

copies of the correspondence with my Colonial Secretary. I am

happy to say that Sir Ernest Sator sær the matter in the sme

light in which it presented itself to me, and instructed the

Consul-General at once to place my views before the Viceroy

and to press them if necessary. On the 25th. March, 1901, the

Consul-General reported to His Majesty's Minister at Peking

that the Viceroy had agreed to give the arrangement a trial'.

and by direction of Sir Ernest Satow a copy of His Excelleney's

last instructions to the Consul-General was sent to me on the

2nd. May, 1901.

I attach copies of all the correspondence

and cannot refrain from expressing my satisfaction at having

been instrumental in securing the cessation of the torture of

eriminals extradited from this Colony, whose rendition upon

what was acknowledged to be a worthless guarantee could not

in my opinion have been granted without dishonour to our

principles and our flag.

The miseries of China are largely due to

the custom of insisting upon confession before execution,

regardless of the evidence produced. To extract confession

torture is applied which results in a crushing mass of in-

Justice. There are many forces in China today making for a

change in this horrible system, and I cherish the hope that

the action of the Hongkong Government in breaking down the

custom in cases of extradition may hasten the coming of a

change in this respect that every well-wisher of China and of

hmanity