CO129-384 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 167

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after consultation with the Law Officers, governing the

exchange of communications between the Government of

Hongkong and the Chinese officials. These instructions

appear to have directed that informal communications

between the police authorities of the Colony and those

of Kowloon might be interchanged direct, but that

"demands for extradition or correspondence with the

"Chinese authorities should continue to pass through

"the medium of Her Majesty's Consul at Canton".

Sir F. Lugard describes the arrangements which

have now been concluded as constituting merely a return

to the situation which existed prior to the time of the

late Viceroy, but the negotiations which have taken

place must, Sir E. Grey thinks, be regarded as a case of

"correspondence with the Chinese authorities" which,

according to the instructions quoted above, should pass

through His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton.

Sir E. Grey would therefore be glad if the

Secretary of State for the Colonies would call Sir F.

Lugard's attention to the fact that it is open to

objection and contrary to precedent for the Colonial

Government