CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 722

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issued the offender was supposed to be a British

subject and that the warrant would be backed by the Court at Shanghai, under the 66th section of the Order in Council of 1865 and the man brought down here in custody. He proved to be an American

citizen so the warrant could not be enforced ceedings were not regular and if Mr. Seward hed at once released the man this Government could not have

complained.

-

the pro-

By

"He thought fit however to detain him and

to invite a formal demand for his rendition. this means he allowed time for the reply of the Board of Trade to be received while the offender was still

within reach. If that reply had been different and

the Board of Trade had been able to send out the necessary evidence, proceedings regular in every way might have been instituted at Shanghai, before the British Consul, as prescribed by the 268th section of the Merchant Shipping Act and any interference by Mr. Seward after the commencement of such proceedings would I consider would have been quite without

authority".

The population of HongKong comprises men of all nationalities and it is important to know how far foreign Consuls at the China ports can protect their nationals from the consequence of crimes committed against English law and cognisable in the Supreme

Court of Honglong.

ine