CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 207

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the spot where the deceased diod. As will be seen from Br.

Porter's report the "hinese Authorities made hardly any

attempt to control the crowd that surged in and around the

ship and a satisfactory examination of the body was thus

rendered impassiblo.

The preliminary enquiry at the Consulate would not

under ordinary circumstances have been open to the public

nor was I obliged, I take it, to allow thiness officials

to be present and cross-oxemina witnesses.

I need hardly say that I held the enquiry in this

manor in order to meet the wishes of the thinose Authoritie

and conciliate hinese public opinion.

to the sequel chows, I apparently failed in both

those objecta, but the fact of the enquiry being held in

public and in the presence of Thinese officials has, I

venture to think, to a great extent rendered official dia-

satisfaction with the rogult end newspaper criticism of

the proceedings unjustified and ineffective.

With regard to the important question of jurisdiction

I trust the line I took my moet with your approval.

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