This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
4
Occasion was taken, in connection with the riots of 1905, to note the improper- release of criminals sent into the city for punishment, and the tolerated concourse of evil-doers in the suburbs, as reasons which inspired constant anxiety for the maintenance of peace and good order. The recent murder of a foreign policeman by a gang of armed Chinese robbers on the outskirts of the Settlement affords an apposite illustra- tion; and the Association will note with satisfaction that His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General has protested to the Taotai against the maladministration which allows these desperadoes to remain at large in the vicinity. It is obvious that simple im- prisonment must often be an inadequate punishment for ruffians of this stamp; while the alternative of sending them into the city, where more primitive methods prevail, is invalidated by the consideration that they usually succeed in bribing their way out. A way of meeting the difficulty would appear to be to ouit the note and all other allusion to bamboo and cangue (so as to leave the Court a free hand) in Rule 1.
The considerations which have been noted suffice to indicate that what is wanted in China is reform not only of the laws but of the prisons, the Courts, and the whole machinery and administration of justice. The absence, during foreigu experience, of any advance whatever towards these results is not reassuring as to the prospect of an early solution, and explains the auxiety of the Shanghae Committee that the efficiency of the Mixed Court shall be strenuously upheld.
China Association, 159, Cannon Street,
London, March 25, 1907.
(Signed) R. S. GUNDRY.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[10907]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received April 6.)
15537 6
[ARC6.]
TRESS 2 MAY 07
SECTION 6.
(No. 78.)
Peking, February 12, 1907. Sir,
ON receipt of your despatch No. 414 of the 24th November, 1906, I addressed a despatch to Mr. Werner, His Majesty's Consul at Kiukiang, asking him to furnish me with full information of the arrangements made in the interests of the child Vera Kingham, and of the reasons which led him to ignore Mr. Percy Kingham's claim to act as guardian.
I have now the honour to transmit to you a copy of Mr. Werner's reply, in which he explains the circumstances of the case. The perusal of the correspondence therein inclosed left no doubt in my mind that Mr. Werner acted rightly in preferring Messrs. Pownall and Hopkins as guardians, and I have so informed him, adding, never- theless, that he should be very careful in seeing that the legal requirements are strictly complied with, and that he should act in consultation with the Crown Advocate on this point.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul Werner to Sir J. Jordan.
(No. 2.) Sir,
Kiukiang, January 28, 1907. WITH reference to your despatch No. 2 of the 14th instant, stating that Sir Edward Grey desires to be furnished with full information of the arrangements made in the interests of the child Vera Kingham, whose parents were murdered last year at Nan Ch'ang, and the reasons which have led me to ignore Mr. Percy Kingham's claim, I have the honour to inclose a copy of a Petition, prepared by the Rev. H. E. Pownall and Rev. F. J. Hopkins at the time when Mr. Percy Kingham began to make inquiries respecting the custody of the child, and to state that he was the legal guardian. In this Petition Messrs. Pownall and Hopkins set forth at length the social, moral, financial, and religious reasons for believing that Mr. Percy Kingham would not be a suitable guardian for the child. In a letter to me, written at Nan Chang on the 15th instant, Mr. Pownall says:---
"Please find inclosed a recent letter received by Mrs. Hopkins from her sister," (This letter I have returned to Mr. Pownall.) "The part underlined with red has reference to the brother, Mr. Percy Kingham, and his wife. As we have it in Mr. Percy Kingham's own handwriting that he gives up any claim to the child-this I mentioned to you some months ago--in deference to the wishes of his relatives, we do not quite understand why Mr. Percy Kingham's wife Alice should write saying that 'Percy's solicitors have received instructions about Vera's money,' and also in inclosed letter that it had to pass through Percy's solicitors' hands.'"
I would add that, in all the letters of Mr. Percy Kingham which I have seen, the idea which seems to be uppermost in his mind is money, whereas the Messrs. Pownall and Hopkins have informed me that they would prefer to be guardians rather than trustees, and have suggested for the latter office the names of Dr. A. G. Parrott, M.R.C.S., &c., Shanghae; Rev. G. S. Pownall, M.A., Uckfield, England; and W. A. Wheeler, Esq., West Kensington, London, uncle to the late Mr. II. C. Kingham.
On the evidence here furnished, I submit that there can be no two opinions as to whether the interests of the child would be best safeguarded by being intrusted to the missionaries, the Rev. H. E. Pownall and [or] Rev. F. J. Hopkins, or to the South African hotel-keeper or farmer, Mr. Percy Kingham. Whilst I am only able to judge of the latter from written evidence, I can state, from personal intercourse with regard to the two former gentlemen, that I believe their character to be irreproachable.
[2460 ƒ-6]
B
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.