}
INO. 1.
Sir C. MacDonald to the Marquess of Salisbury.--(Received June 11) 2075)
C.O
207316
586
(No. 77.) My Lord,
Peking, April 28, 1990.& I HAVE the honour to report that on the 3rd instant I received a tel 00 the Governor of Hong Kong, informing me that on the 1st instant a British steam- launch, the "Chang-sha," had been attacked by pirates on the West River, the pilot illed, and the compradore kidnapped. His Excellency added that a British man-of-war had gone up in pursuit of the pirates.
I communicated this information by letter to the Yamên next day, the 4th April, without comment, feeling convinced from previous experience that the Chinese authorities would be stirred to greater interest by the dispatch of a British gun-boat than by any remonstrances of my own on the lethargy that has allowed these piratical attacks to become so frequent,
On the 7th the Yamên returned the stereotyped reply they have given to all my representations on this subject. The Viceroy of Canton was, they stated, taking the most stringent measures against piracy in general, and would deal severely with the offenders in this particular case, and they accordingly desired me to telegraph to the Governor of Hong Kong to recall the British gun-boat.
In my despatch No. 27, Confidential, of the 2nd February, will be found inclosed a Confidential report from the Consul at Canton, showing that the suggestion made by me some twelve months ago, that Her Majesty's Government might find it necessary to take its own measures to protect trade from piratical molestation, had some effect in inducing the Chinese Government to bestir themselves, though their instructions to the Canton authorities were not obeyed. Bearing this in mind, I declined to transmit the Yamên's request for the recall of the gun-boat, and took the opportunity of reminding them of the many warnings they had neglected. A copy of my note is inclosed.
I acquainted the Governor by telegraph with my refusal to accede to the Yamên's request.
I have since received from his Excellency copies of correspondence with the Viceroy of Canton on the subject of combined operations against the pirates. These despatches have, I do not doubt, been already transmitted to the Colonial Office.
It was
There is no doubt that the state of affairs in the Canton waters constitutes a serious danger to commerce, and, as this recent instance of the piracy of the "Ch'ang-sha shows, there is so far no sign of improvement. If the Viceroy, Li Hung-chang, shows in suppressing piracy the energy he displayed as a younger man in putting down anti- foreign rowdyism at Tien-tsin, he may bring about an improvement; but the evil has now been allowed to flourish so long unchecked that bis task may prove beyond his resources, just as in earlier days the Provincial Government failed to check the piracy that for many years made the southern waters of China notoriously insecure. only by the vigorous action of Her Majesty's ships that the coast was to a great extent freed from the scourge, and it may prove necessary to employ them with equal freedom against the pirates now infesting the inland waterways. For the present they are instructed to act only in concert with the Chinese authorities, and if the latter will give effective co-operation their assistance should be valuable. The fear of independent action on our part, for which the wilful neglect of their duty by the Canton authorities Hould supply ample justification, may act as a sufficient stimulus.
I have, &c. (Signed) CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.
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