EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION IN SIAM.
[To TOE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."
SIR,—In your issue of the 19th inst. you say, referring to the recent Treaty with Siam :—" In return, Britain abandons her rights of extraterritorial jurisdiction in Siam." Allow me to point out that this statement is not correct if it means (es it appears to do) that all rights of extraterritorial jurisdiction are abandoned, as NVILB done, for instance, in the case of Japan in 1899. So fur from being abandoned, the rights not expressly given up by the recent Treaty are expressly kept on foot. The consequences of a complete abandonment of the Treaty rights of jurisdiction in a foreign country are so important and far-reaching that there ought to be no mis- understanding on this point. One consequence of the abandonment of the Treaty rights in Japan was that marriages celebrated in Japan between British subjects according to English law were no longer valid. No snob change has taken place with respect to Siam.—I am, Sir, JAMES EDWARD HOGG.
Ste., 8 New Square, Lincoln's Inn.
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