CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 180

opium. I don't know how you are going to do that. It is true you might search the firm's premises, but . who believes that by that time any evidence would remain, even if it had ever existed.

I am satisfied that the Governor has got a difficult problem, and that in view of all the facts, and of the Attorney General's memo, he is right in not commencing proceedings in the present state of affairs, and I do not think that he ought to be forced into action, which he feels would be indiscreet, by the importunities of people here who, after all, do not have to share his responsibility; and I would tell the Home Office that in these circumstances we are not prepared to make any further representations in the matter.

Are

18.3

As proposed by M. Burke ?

££

11.251

12 19/3/25

alance

сися

woz

20-3.25

DISABLED

Any communication on the Sect of this letter should be

ressed fa-

S UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE,

HOME OFFICE,

LONDON, S.W, 1,

had the following number quoted —

447,651/85.

379.

4MZ.

Sir,

1.

C.O.

11631

13 MAN 25

HOME OFFICE,

WHITEHALL.

176

12th March,

1925.

I am directed

refer to your letters (4142/24/25) of the 12th February and 19145/25) of the 9th liarch enclosing despatches from the Governor of Hong Kong with reference to the importation of

a large quantity of opium into Macao on the s.s. Gorgistan

by the firm of H. N. H. Nema zee and to the question of taking proceedings against the firm in respect of their opium

transactions.

Secretary Sir William oynson-Hicks to

J

2 The Governor in his despatch of 6th January states that he

fears that at present no action is possible and that he had

explained why in the case of the Gorgistan it was considered

that no action in the Courts could with advantage be taken.

Sir William Joynson-Hicks has not been able to find in the

The despatches forwarded the explanation referred to.

Governor's despatch of 20th December was accompanied by a

memorandum by the Attorney-General on the Gorgistan case,

which the Governor forwarded without any comment or indication

of the action taken by him upon it. That memorandum did not

definitely advise that a prosecution was impossible or in-

advisable, and raised several questions which called for con-

sideration. Sir William Joynson-Hicks is unable to understand, from the despatches before him, the failure of the Governor to take further action in the case of the Gorgistan. In view

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

1

ofi

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