CO129-341 - Acting Governor May Governor Lugard - 1907 [7-10] — Page 398

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

393

: business interests in both Colonies

The greater number of the inhabitants both of this Colony and of Macao are Chinese by birth, the majority of whom are domiciled in China, and are merely temporarily resident in one or other of such Colonies for the purposes of trade.

The very lengthy delay which would be occasioned by a reference to the Supreme Court of Goa of a judgment obtained in this Court would enable a Chinese judgment debtor resident in Macao to settle up his affairs, and to depart from that Colony, before such judgment had been confirmed, and thereby, under existing circumstances, to render the judgment valueless.

The question of enforcing, in Canton, judgments of the Hongkong Courts is one which has never been satisfactorily settled, and consequently grave inconvenience is caused to the merchants and traders in this Colony.

It must, we think, be apparent to your Lordship that it is of the utmost importance to the welfare of this Colony that judgments pronounced by the Supreme Court over persons for the time being within its jurisdiction, and in matters with which it is competent to deal, at least in cases in which the Defendants have appeared, should be made enforceable, not only in the Colony of Macao by the Court of that Colony, but also by the Chinese Authorities in China, more especially those in Canton.

We have therefore the honour to suggest to your Lordship that the Portuguese Government may be approached with a view to arrangements being made for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments between this Colony and Macao, subject to such exceptions as may appear to the two Courts to be advisable.

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393 : business interests in both Colonies The greater number of the inhabitants both of this Colony and of Macao are Chinese by birth, the majority of whom are domiciled in China, and are merely temporarily resident in one or other of such Colonies for the purposes of trade. The very lengthy delay which would be occasioned by a reference to the Supreme Court of Goa of a judgment obtained in this Court would enable a Chinese judgment debtor resident in Macao to settle up his affairs, and to depart from that Colony, before such judgment had been confirmed, and thereby, under existing circumstances, to render the judgment valueless. The question of enforcing, in Canton, judgments of the Hongkong Courts is one which has never been satisfactorily settled, and consequently grave inconvenience is caused to the merchants and traders in this Colony. It must, we think, be apparent to your Lordship that it is of the utmost importance to the welfare of this Colony that judgments pronounced by the Supreme Court over persons for the time being within its jurisdiction, and in matters with which it is competent to deal, at least in cases in which the Defendants have appeared, should be made enforceable, not only in the Colony of Macao by the Court of that Colony, but also by the Chinese Authorities in China, more especially those in Canton. We have therefore the honour to suggest to your Lordship that the Portuguese Government may be approached with a view to arrangements being made for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments between this Colony and Macao, subject to such exceptions as may appear to the two Courts to be advisable.
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393 : business interests in both Colonies The greater number of the inhabitants both of this Colony and of Macao are Chinese by birth, the majority of whom are domiciled in China, and are merely temporarily resident in one or other of such Colonies for the purposes of trade The very lengthy delay which would be occasioned by a reference to the Supreme Court of Goa of a judgment obtained in this Court would enable a Chinese judgment debtor resident in Macao to settle up his affairs, and to depart from that Colony, before such judgment had been confirmed, and thereby, under existing circumstances, to render the judgment valueless The question of enforcing, in Canton, judgments of the Hongkong Courts is one which has never been satisfactorily settled, and consequently grave inconvenience is caused to the merchants and traders in this Colony ** It must, we think, be apparent to your Lordship that it is of the utmost importance to the welfare of this Colony that judgments pronounced by the Supreme Court over persons for the time being within its jurisdiction, and in matters with which it is competent to deal, at least in cases in which the Defendants have appeared, should be made enforceable, not only in the Colony of Macao by the Court of that Colony, but also by the Chinese Authorities in China, more especially those in Canton We have therefore the honour to suggest to your Lordship that the Portuguese Government may be approached with a view to arrangements being made for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments between this Colony and Macao, subject to such exceptions as may appear to the two Courts to be advisable -
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393

:

business interests in both Colonies

The greater number of the inhabitants both of this Colony and of Macao are Chinese by birth, the majority of whom are domiciled in China, and are merely temporarily resident in one or other of such Colonies for the purposes of trade

The very lengthy delay which would be occasioned by a reference to the Supreme Court of Goa of a judgment obtained in this Court would enable a Chinese judgment debtor resident in Macao to settle up his affairs, and to depart from that Colony, before such judgment had been confirmed, and thereby, under existing circumstances, to render the judgment valueless

The question of enforcing, in Canton, judgments of the Hongkong Courts is one which has never been satisfactorily settled, and consequently grave inconvenience is caused to the merchants and traders in this Colony

**

It must, we think, be apparent to your Lordship that it is of the utmost importance to the welfare of this Colony that judgments pronounced by the Supreme Court over persons for the time being within its jurisdiction, and in matters with which it is competent to deal, at least in cases in which the Defendants have appeared, should be made enforceable, not only in the Colony of Macao by the Court of that Colony, but also by the Chinese Authorities in China, more especially those in Canton

We have therefore the honour to suggest to your Lordship that the Portuguese Government may be approached with a view to arrangements being made for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments between this Colony and Macao,

subject to such exceptions as may appear to the two Courts to

be advisable -

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