150
account of ill-health.
24
Mr. Deacon would appear to have acted in his absence, but in December 1861 he expressed a desire to give up the office, and as Mr. Bruce and Consul Robertson were of opinion that it should not be abolished, Mr. E. L. Lança, a Portuguese subject resident at Macao, was, subject to the approval of Her Majesty's Government and "that of the Governor of Macao," appointed by Mr. Bruce to fill the post.
November 9, 1861.
Consul Robertson gave the following reasons for thinking that the post should not be abolished :-
1st. During the year there are about 100 British vessels visiting the port, many of them loading and discharging there, and the Portuguese Government not only readily leaves the Settlement of all disputes occurring on board to the intervention of the Consular Agent, but avoids in every possible way any direct interference. The masters of these vessels, moreover, frequently require advice and assistance in their dealings with the Portuguese and Chinese residents. They also require the attestation of various documents, and there are, no doubt, many other reasons in connection with the British mercantile marine rendering the presence of a Consular Agent, if not absolutely necessary, at all events very desirable;
"2ndly. A great many British subjects in the course of the year seek change of air at Macao, and in the event of any of these dying or getting into trouble the presence of a Consular Agent would certainly be of advantage."
In Mr. Bruce's No. 188; December 12, 1861.
March 7, 1862.
To Sir A. Magenis, No. 15; March 7, 1862.
March 15, 1862.
Mr. Lança's appointment as Consular Agent at Macao was accordingly approved, and Sir A. Magenis was instructed to request the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs to cause the requisite instructions to be given for Mr. Lança's recognition in that capacity, and he did so; when the Portuguese Minister replied by requesting that as it was necessary that the appointment of Mr. Lança should be duly confirmed by the King of Portugal, that gentleman's commission should be forwarded to him, which would be returned to Sir A. Magenis; although the Portuguese Minister stated that in the meantime he had written to the Minister of Marine to request him to forward the necessary orders to the authorities at Macao, in order that Mr. Lança might be recognized ad interim.
To Sir A. Magenis, No. 23; April 11, 1862.
Sir A. Magenis, No. 52; April 25, 1862.
Sir R. Alcock, No. 82; June 13, 1867.
State Papers, vol. lv, p. 790.
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Sir A. Magenis was upon this instructed to explain to the Portuguese Minister that Mr. Lança, in his capacity of Consular Agent, was furnished with no commission from the Queen, and to say that Her Majesty's Government therefore trusted that no further delay might take place in Mr. Lança's full recognition as British Consular Agent at Macao.
On the 21st May, 1867, Mr. Lança died, when M. Pio Marques was placed in charge of the archives; but Sir R. Alcock advised that the appointment should not be filled up, and Lord Stanley consented to its abolition, as an experiment; adding that he was not disposed entirely to agree with the general reasons which Sir R. Alcock had assigned for its abolition and could not feel sure that the want of it might not be felt thereafter.
1862.
It should now be mentioned that on the 13th August, 1862, a Treaty of Amity and Commerce was concluded at Tien-tsin between China and Portugal, which has, I think, an important bearing on the present question.
It was concluded between the Portuguese "Governor-General of Macao, Plenipotentiary to China,” and an Imperial High Commissioner; and it began by declaring (Art. II) that everything that down to that day had been done, at whatever time or place, whether in writing or printed, or verbally agreed, with respect to the relations between Portugal and the Empire of China, and between the Government of the City of Macao (formerly in the Province of Canton) and the Chinese authorities," were entirely annulled, and held as non-existing, and that the Treaty then concluded was to serve as the only valid regulation of the relations between the two States.
Article III then declared that "the Governor of Macao, in his capacity of Plenipotentiary of His Most Faithful Majesty in China," might visit the Court of Pekin every year should important affairs render it necessary.
Article IX declared that His Majesty the King of Portugal would enjoin upon the Governor-General of Macao to bestow his most determined co-operation to avoid everything which might, at that place, be prejudicial to the interests of the Chinese Empire,
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