T
333
No. 4.
Acting Consul-General French to Earl Granville.-(Received November 18.)
Bangkok, October 14, 1884.
(No. 84.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to report that, on the 4th October last, M. Lorgeon, Acting Consul for France at this capital, addressed a note to his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which, affer quoting the paragraphs in His Majesty's speech (copy of which I had the honour to transmit in despatch No. 78 of the 24th September last) having reference to the expedition sent up to survey in the north-east of Siam in the last dry season, he stated that his Excellency must be aware that Annam had important rights to revindicate ("revendiquer") in those little known regions where there were many States that were tributary to her, and he was therefore forced to assert the rights of France and Annam in this regard.
To this note his Excellency replied on the 8th October, assuring M. Lorgeon that Siam had no intention of interfering with the rights of Annam and France, and wished to maintain the raost amicable relations with her.
His Royal Highness Prince Devawongse, the King's Private Secretary, showed me M. Lorgeon's note and the reply of the Siamese Government to it, and also informed me that instructions had been sent to the Siamese Minister in London to furnish your Lordship with copies of the two notes, should they be required.
The Siamese believe, no doubt correctly, that M. Lorgeon's note was sent in compliance with instructions from the Government of Saigon.
As to the States which M. Lorgeon refers to as being tributary to Annam, there is no doubt that several States on the eastern borders of Siam have at times sent presents or tribute to Annam in consequence of the incursions which the Annamites had made from time to time into those countries, but no such tribute has been paid for years past, and the inhabitants are Laos or Siamese, speaking a dialect of Siamese.
In the extreme north-east of Siam there is a considerable extent of country, over which at present the Siamese can hardly be said to exercise any authority. For of late years bandit Chinese have come in from Tonquin, and having driven out the Siamese authorities have settled down, levying taxes from the people and virtually ruling the country. It is also said that these bandit Chinese have been concerned in the recent fighting against the French.
The Siamese consider the present time to be a very favourable opportunity for the survey and delimitation of their eastern and northern frontiers, and the expedition for that object will set out again at the end of this rainy season, in about a month
hence.
I have, &c. (Signed) E. H. FRENCH.