CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 599

the responsibility for the outrage on the Viceroy of the

593

Two Kwong who had allowed the patrolling of the West River

to become more and more inefficient in spite of the various

incidents which had occurred to demonstrate the necessity

for greater vigilance and activity.

5.

I have little doubt that owing mainly to the

energy and promptness of His Majesty's Consul-General the

Sainam Piracy will be satisfactorily dealt with by the

Chinese Officials to the extent of bringing to justice a

proportion of the malefactors who took part in it. But the

question which most affects this Colony is the prevention of

the recurrence of similar incidents in the future. The sug-

gestion made by the Viceroy some little time ago that

Chinese "bravos" should travel on British steamers to pro-

text them is futile for the reasons given.in Mr.Stewart's

address. The Consul-General is urging on the Viceroy the

necessity for a well organised scheme for the suppression

of piracy and the use of his foreign drilled troops to

sarry it out; but however well organized such a scheme may

be in the first instance there can I fear be little doubt

that after a time the former slackness would supervene

while the Viceroy would undoubtedly seize every oppotunity

which the scheme

to lessen the unremunerative expenditure/would involve.The

Chamber of Commerce urge that substantial guarantees

should