Mr. Mayle.
1.
We spoke about this.
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2. There are two aspects about this suggestion that strike me as being particularly objectionable. The first is the implication that the remission of sentences for crimes committed in a British Colony is something that may be determined on grounds of political expediency. To my mind the remission of sentences should be governed either by the general principles of penal administration or on the inherent merits of individual cases. I would not think that im assessing the merits of individual cases purely extraneous political considerations could properly be taken into account. This view may, I think, perhaps err on the side of puritanism, but personally I regard as distasteful the suggestion that, simply because the Chinese are apparently prepared to make a fuss about this case, i.e. in other words to employ blackmail tactics, the Governor of Hong Kong should seriously consider exercising his prerogative of clemency on the prisoners now serving sentences.
B
The second objection that I see is perhaps a rather more practical one, namely that if the Governor were to remit the sentences, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs would no doubt regard it as a belated acknowledgment that we have been in the wrong, and in any case as a precedent encouraging: them to adopt similar blackmail tactics on future : occasions.
4.
I believe that the remission of sentences is entirely the Governor's prerogative, and that
normally
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