CONFIDENTIAL.
Hongkong.
구
Goverment Houses (
Hongkong, 16th. April, 1903.
62
9
losure
Sir.
A case has recently been brought to my
notice in which a Chinese Merchant, born in the Colony of
parents who were subjects of the Emperor of China, and holding
a Certificate (Form A.100/h, attached) as a British-born subject,
was in 1901 twice robbed of considerable property while he
was carrying on a branch of his business at Swatow, where he
had duly registered himself in December, 1897, at the British
Consulate. The Chinese Authorities were informed of these
occurrences and are reported to have paid no attention to the
matter; while two appeals to His Britannic Majesty's Consul
at Swatow were equally fruitless, on account of the existence
of the clause in his British Certificate which declares that
it does not confer
within the Empire of China any
B
claim or right to British protection".
2.
A Petition was then addressed to me by
the complainant, requesting me to approach the Chinese Authori-
ties at Swatow through the British Consul with a view to the
punishment of the thieves, concerning whom the petitioner
professed himself able to give information which would lead
to their arrest. In view however of the unequivocal wording
that
of the clause to which I have referred I was obliged to reply
HE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,
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