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4. The original draft of the bill contained in clause 2
a definition of the term "Chinese subject", which occurred
in paragraph (c) of section 2, and in section 18, of the
principal Ordinance. The term also occurs in the preamble
to that Ordinance which recites a portion of the Treaty of
Tientsin. The Secretary of State directed an alteration of
the definition but did not object to the term. H. B. M.
Minister at Peking, however, in his telegram No.557 of the
7th October, addressed to the Governor, expressed the view
that the term "subject" was "definitely incorrect" and that
"it really should be altered", on the ground that "there are
no such things now as Chinese
In his telegram
subjects'."
No.554 of the 4th October he had suggested the terma "nation-
-al" or "citizen" of China.
The terms are no doubt more
strictly correct than "subject" in the present connexion, and
in deference to the Minister's wishes the term "national of
China" was adopted. This involved the following variations
from the draft as submitted to the Secretary of State :-
(a) The amendment of the definition of "Fugitive
criminal" : see section 2(b) of the present
Ordinance.
(b) The alteration of the term "subject of China"
in the interpretation clause : see section 2(c)
of the present Ordinance.
(c) The amendment of section 18 of the principal
Ordinance : see section 6 of the present Ordi-
nance.
5. The draft bill approved by the Secretary of State has
also been varied by the alteration of clauses 3 and 4 of that
draft and by the addition of four new clauses which now appear
as sections 5,7,8 and 9 of the present Ordinance.
It was
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