§ MR. DAVITTI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies upon what specific grounds was Dr. Sun-yat-Sen banished from Hong-kong in 1896; what offence had he committed or been charged with against British authority in that Colony; was he tried or convicted for any overt act against the laws of the Colony; if so, whether any record of such conviction or trial has been communicated to the Colonial Office; and whether the decree of banishment issued against him, in the absence of any such recorded guilt or sentence, will be revoked?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIESDr. Sun-Yat-Sen left Hong-kong in 1895 at a time when information had reached the Colonial Government that he was implicated in certain proceedings against the Chinese authorities 220 in Canton. Hearing that he was likely to return, the Governor in Council issued an order of banishment against him. He was not charged with, or convicted of, an offence against the laws of the Colony. I am not aware whether the order of banishment is still in force, or whether any application has been made for its revocation, but I will cause inquiries to be made.