Col:
Office
P. L
W. French
No 84
C. O.
20456
REC:
REGO 1 DEC 34,
334
No. 4.
Sir H. Parkes to Earl Granville.--(Received November 18.)
(No. 190. Ext. 34.) My Lord,
Peking, September 26, 1884.
I HAVE the honour to report to your Lordship that I have received telegraphic information from Her Majesty's Consul at Canton and the Governor of Singapore, to the effect that a Proclamation has been issued by the high provincial authorities at Canton which calls upon the Chinese to destroy French ships and poison French subjects at Singapore, Penang, and elsewhere.
I have lost no time in denouncing to the Tsung-li Yamôn this grave offence against public law, humanity, and the sovereign rights of Great Britain, and I have told the Chinese Ministers that I consider the only adequate remedy for this unwarrantable proceeding on the part of their officials is the issue of a Decrec from the throne recalling the Proclamation, and censuring the authorities who published it. The Ministers of the Yamên still disavowed to me at an interview to-day any knowledge of the Proclamation, although they called for a Report on the subject a week ago.
I beg to express a hope that your Lordship will so far approve my action as to authorize me to insist upon the publication of an Imperial Decree in the desired sense, and to be allowed to add that a strong remonstrance to the Chinese Minister in London might have a very beneficial effect.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
HARRY S. PARKES.