CORRESPONDENCE
BETWEEN
THE COUNCIL OF MACAO
AND
THE MANDARIN OF THE DISTRICT.
The Mandarin Tro-lang, Wang; to the Procurador... ». The Mandarin Teo-tang, Wang, &c. I make known to the Council of Government, that I have received a Despatch from the Mandarin of Caza Branca, in which he states that he has received from Gan-cha-su another Despatch informing him that the Mandarin of Shon-tak had seized a criminal and discovered the head and hand of the noble Governor, all of which he had taken to Canton to be examined:
That the Lieut-Governor, after trying and sentencing the assassin, had ordered his head to be taken to Macao by a deputed officer, there to be exposed to the public, and at the same time to deliver the head and hand of the noble Governor!
That the three men, the soldier Sem-fong-liong, Bi-lin-pin, and Tang-to-shen, should be first surrendered, in order to show good faith.
Under these circumstances, I address this Despatch to the noble Council, that they may order the immediate delivery of the three men, Sem fong-liang, Si-lin-pin, and Tang-to-shen, that I may make it known to my superiors; and as soon as the deputed officer arrives, I shall again address you. Taukwang, 29th year, 8th moon, 4th day, (20th September, 1849).
The Procurador to the Mandarin Teo-tang, Wang. I, the Procurador, &c, make known to the Mandarin, that having laid before the Council your Despatch of this date, they direct me to inform you, that they have already received a Despatch from the Viceroy of Canton on the subject, stating that a deputed officer has been despatched to deliver up the head and hand.
It is necessary, therefore, that they be given up immediately without any clause or condition whatever, so that after being identified as the real ones, they may be received, and in default, the Council will not answer for the consequences.
The Council further direct me to inform you, that they will never consent that the head of that unfortunate wretch who was executed be exposed at Macao. Finally, they order you to be advised, that it is not your place to correspond with the Council, and that you are well aware of the course to be followed in this respect, and no further correspondence will be received by them from the Mandarins of the District.
MANOEL PEREIRA.
Macao, 20th September, 1849.
The Mandarin Tro-tang, Wang, to the Procurador, The Mandarin Tso tang, Wang-In reply to the last Despatch of the Procurador relative to the murder of the noble Governor Amaral, —
I proceed to communicate to you, that in a case of this nature His Excellency the Viceroy of Canton could not fail to use diligence for the apprehension of the culprit and discovery of the head and hand, which he in fact obtained; and, as has been already intimated, a deputed officer will bring the head to be delivered to the Portuguese Government.
The deputed officer is expected at Caza Branca in the course of the day, of which I inform the Procurador, that you will let me know the hour to-morrow on which the reception is to be made, in order that when the deputed officer arrives, he may make the delivery at the appointed time.
With regard to the three men belonging to the Barrier gate, it would be convenient, when you are about to give them up to me, that I also should receive previous notice, in order that I may report the same to my superiors.
As to the head of the criminal, as the Portuguese Government does not wish it to be exposed at Macao according to the laws, I will select some other place to expose it to the public. As soon as the deputed officer arrives, I shall again address you.
Taukwang, 29th year, 9th moon, 9th day. (25th Sept.)
The Mandarin Wang, Tso-tang, to the Procurador. Wang, Tso-tang, &c.—I make known to the Procurador, in consequence of your answer to me stating that the reception of the head and hand of the noble Governor will take place at the Barrier gate, and that I should inform you of the arrival of the deputed officer, in order that you might fix a day for the reception, that the deputed officer has already arrived with the head and hand of the noble Governor; and I hope that the Procurador will let me know when the reception will take place, in order that the said deputed officer may go and deliver them up.
I hope so that you will inform me when you will surrender the three individuals belonging to the Barrier gate, as this is necessary.
Taukwang, 29th year, 8th moon, 10th day. (26th Sept.)
The Procurador to the Mandarin Tee-tang, Wang. I the Procurador, &c., make known to the Mandarin, that having laid your despatch of this date before the Council of Government, they direct me to communicate to you that o'clock on the morning of the 27th instant is the hour fixed for the reception of the head and hand of the most Excellent deceased at the Boundary Gate, when the delivery should be made at the appointed hour.
MANOEL PEREIRA.
Macao, 26th September, 1849.
The Mandarin Teo-tang, Wang, to the Procurador. The Mandarin Tao-tang, Wang, &c.-I make known to the Procurador that you having addressed me several times requesting that when the deputed officer should arrive, I would let you know, for the reception of the head and hand of the noble Governor Amaral; you however have never mentioned the three individuals belonging to the Barrier gate, and even yesterday, when you stated that the day and hour for the reception had been fixed for 5 o'clock in the morning,you did not allude to those individuals. As the orders given by His Excellency to the deputed officer were, that the head should be given up after the three individuals had been delivered to him, therefore, as these have not been surrendered, he cannot answer to His Excellency, and as a deputed officer from the Imperial Commissioner, how can he dare to deliver them of his own accord? I therefore address the Procurador that you may deliver without delay these three men, when the head of the noble Governor shall be immediately given up; and if you are not going to deliver them, it is unnecessary to fix the hour for its reception.
I have thought proper to communicate this to the Procurador.
Tankwang, 29th year, 8th moon, 10th day. (26th Sept.)
The Procurador to the Mandarin Teo-tang, Wang. I, the Procurador, &c, &c., make known to the Mandarin Tao-tang, by order of the Most Excellent Council of Government, that a long time having already elapsed since the hour fixed at your request for the delivery of the head and hand of the Most Excellent the deceased Governor of this Province, the Councillor Amaral, which delivery has not taken place, owing to the non-appearance on the spot appointed for that purpose, of the person charged to give them up, in grave violation of the consideration due to the Portuguese Government, and of the good faith with which it has a right to be treated, the Council direct me to intimate to you that such a proceeding on your part, which would have been very reprehensible in other circumstances, is intolerable in the present case, as it is in opposition to what was communicated to the Council by the Viceroy of Canton.
You were well aware, for you had been informed, that the delivery was to be unconditional; and therefore I am charged by the Council to repeat to you that they do not admit any other terms or condition than that the delivery be made before 4 o'clock this afternoon, the latest period the Council can fix; and if at that hour the head and hand are not effectively handed over to the persons entrusted by the Council to receive them, the Council will not hold themselves answerable for the consequences that may ensue, owing to the excitement of all the Portuguese people, justly irritated by such a proceeding.
Whilst writing this (10 o'clock A. M., I received your chop of yesterday, stating that the deputed officer, having orders from the Viceroy not to make the delivery until after receiving the three Chinese, who, not being criminals, are only detained here until the conclusion of the necessary investigations, cannot avoid complying with them. The Council, before whom I immediately laid your communication, desire me to inform you that the Viceroy, in his chop to the Council, clearly and explicitly says that he was about to send the head and hand of the deceased Governor, to be delivered to the Council, without taking any condition.
The Council could neither accept them with any conditions whatsoever, nor the Viceroy impose any without compromising himself gravely: and if in the beforementioned chop he alluded to the release (and not to the delivery) of the said three individuals, it was evidently to make it dependent on the restitution of the head and hand of the Illustrious Governor, which is due to the Government of Macao as the most sacred of all rights, and which the Council cannot renounce, but which it is indeed their duty to maintain, as they are decided to do at all risks.
Having adverted in your previous chops to the delivery of the aforesaid three Chinese, inquiring when they would be given up, you only now think of invoking the name of the Viceroy to insist upon it as an
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