CO129-541-1 Piracy- case of Rex v. Chung Tam Kwong 29-7-1932 - 3-2-1933 — Page 22

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31st December, 1932.

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Dear Hancock,

"e have received a letter from the Colonial Office,

dated 27th December, with regard to the Hong Kong piracy

case of Rex v. "Chung Tam Kwong", and we see that a similar

letter has been sent to the Admiralty. It appears that the

Treasury have declined to sanction the cost of the proposed

reference to the Judicial Committee falling on the Vote of

the Treasury Solicitor's Department, and the Colonial

Secretary does not feel justified in asking the Hong Kong

Government to bear the cost of such reference.

It appears to us at the Board of Trade that it is in

the general interest that the question at issue should be

referred to the Judicial Committee, as the Law Officers

advised in their Opinion of the 29th July. Accordingly,

we propose to support the Colonial Office in pressing the

Treasury to re-consider the matter and to sanction the cost

of the reference falling on the Vote of the Treasury

Solicitor's Department.

Before writing in this sense we should be glad to know

whether the Admiralty will take a similar line; perhaps you

W.H. Hancock, Esq., M.B.E.

Admiralty,

S.W.1.

/would