SIR,
37
ENCLOSURE NO. 1 IN GOVERNOR'S MINUTE OF THE 17TH APRIL, 1899.
(Viceroy T'an to Mr. Consul Mansfield.)
15th April, 1899.
I am in receipt of your despatch stating that the Governor of Hongkong had written to the effect that I had altogether misunderstood him with regard to the question of the Customs Stations discussed at our interview.
During our interview on April 2, the Governor of Hongkong first said that the Customs must be removed. I strongly insisted that they could on no account be removed. When the Governor was leaving, I asked if the delimitation was to be regarded as settled. His Excellency replied that it was. I again said that it was not necessary to again refer to the question of the removal of the Customs. The Governor replied that it was not necessary to again refer to it. I regarded this as conclusive. The words are still in my ears and I did not misunderstand.
I am again sending Taot'ai WONG TSUN-SHIN to Hongkong to personally confer and take action, and I shall feel obliged if you will inform His Excellency the Governor of this.
I have, etc.,
[Seal of the Viceroy.]
ENCLOSURE NO. 2 IN GOVERNOR'S MINUTE OF THE 17TH APRIL, 1899.
(From Viceroy T'an.)
17th April, 1899.
(Translation.)
SIR,
I have received your Note informing me that you had received a telegram from the Governor of Hongkong requesting me, after the flag had been hoisted, to remove every Chinese official and soldier from the New Territory.
It is set forth in the Convention made with the Tsung-li Yamên that "the "Chinese officials stationed in Kowloon City shall continue to perform their duties as heretofore." Therefore there can be no question of removing them. As regards the soldiers, the Governor himself requested that they should be sent to keep order, so I sent 300 men of the Chien (Battalion to take up their quarters at Kow- loon and 300 men of the Fang Yen () Battalion to Shin Chow to be at hand to preserve order. At the present time the Fang Yen detachment are still at Shin Chow, while the Chien detachinent have been moved to Sha T'ou Chio I have telegraphed to Deputy WANG to inform the Governor of Hong-
kong.
[Cord of Viceroy T'AN.]
(Colonial Secretary's Minute of the 18th April, 1899. )
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
THE CAMP,
TÁI PÚ, 18th April, 1899, 10 am.
Captain BERGER and a portion of his men with Mr. MAY and his police returned here at 8 a.m. They have brought with them 4 prisoners. I request instructions as to whether these prisoners are to be dealt with by the Civil or by the Military Authorities. Pending instructions the prisoners will be detained under a Military guard. I am proceeding to Sheung Ts'ün with Colonel THE O'GORMAN, Mr. MAY, Captain BERGER and Mr. Ts'oI. Captain BERGER has left Lieutenant BARRETT behind at Sheung Ts'ün.
I wish to urge once more the importance of dealing with Ün Loong, Kam T'in and Ha Ts'ün in a drastic manner.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.