[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
96
Your Highness,
2
Inclosure in No. 1
Mr. Carnegie to Prince Ching,
Peking, August 14, 1906. WITH reference to my note of the 29th May, in which I requested your Highness to favour me with a reply to Sir E. Satow's earlier notes on the subject of the riots at Shanghae in December last, I would remind your Highness that at an interview of the 29th May the Wai-wu Pu informed me that the Viceroy of Nanking and the newly- appointed laotai of Shanghae had been pressed during the previous week by telegram and letter and warned that proposals for settlement must positively be made without any further delay. In another interview on the 5th June the Grand Secretary Na Tung and their Excellencies Lien and Tong told me that the Viceroy proposed to appoint his Secretary Tuotai Lo and the Shanghae Taotai to discuss a settlement with His Majesty's Consul-General at Shangbae, and, in support of his Excellency's proposal, insisted that the trouble, being local, an arrangement could be best come to on the spot. Their Excellencies expressed a strong desire to dispose of the matter amicably, and urged me to meet the Viceroy's proposal, which was conceived in a friendly spirit. I objected that the principle of compensation should be first agreed upon by the Wai-wu Pu and myself, and to remove any objections their Excellencies agreed to telegraph to the Viceroy that compensation should be paid to bond fide sufferers. With the understanding that municipal and non-British claims should be arranged by the Viceroy's deputies with the authorities concerned, I agreed, on the other hand, to telegraph to His Majesty's Consul-General in the sense desired.
On the 19th June I called at the Wai-wu Pa again, mentioned that according to a telegram from His Majesty's Consul-General the Shanghae Tuotai had stated that he had received no instructions to the effect that the Wai-wu Pu had agreed to the payment of compensation, and asked for an explanation, Their Excellencies said that no attention should be paid to the Taotai's statement; that the Viceroy was aware that compensation should be paid; that his Excellency was sending the Taotai Lo and Shen Tung to Shanghae to discuss the matter with His Majesty's Consul-General; and that those two gentlemen, and not the Shanghae Taotai, should open the discussion.
In an interview at the Wai-wu Pu on the 3rd July I asked if the Viceroy's two deputies had yet gone to Shanghae, and complained strongly of the delay which had occurred. Their Excellencies promised to make inquiries, and to press his Excellency to send the deputies at once.
On the 20th July I again urged the matter, and was informed that the Wai-wu Pu were doing their utmost, and would again telegraph to the Viceroy, who was ill. To assist the efforts of the Wai-wu Pu I then communicated with His Majesty's Consul-General at Nanking, and instructed him to expedite the dispatch of the two deputies to Shanghae. He replied that the Viceroy had not admitted the principle of compensation, because he was afraid of Shanghae public opinion.
I called at the Wai-wu Pu once more on the 7th August, and was informed that according to a telegram received from the Viceroy His Majesty's Consul at Nanking had proposed to submit the claims for compensation to arbitration by a neutral person. I replied that there must have been some misunderstanding, as His Majesty's Cousul was merely instructed to hasten the sending of the deputies to Shanghae, and had no authority to make such a proposal. I recalled that in accordance with the arrangement settled between their Excellencies and myself the Viceroy should have sent his deputies two months previously; that I had reported this arrangement to His Majesty's Govern- ment, who had approved my agreeing to it; and that the delay of the Viceroy in carrying out the first term of it was one which their Excellencies could not justify to me, nor I to His Majesty's Government. Their Excellencies again promised to telegraph to the Viceroy.
Since my last interview at the Wai-wu Pu I learn from His Majesty's Consul at Nanking, that in consequence of the attitude of the officials, students, and
of press Shanghac, the Viceroy still avoids acceding to the Wai-wu Pu's request of two months ago, and I must come to the conclusion that unless explicit and positive instructions are sent to his Excellency to settle the case on the basis of an indemnity nothing will be done by him towards arranging an amicable settlement.
I have the honour, therefore, to request your Highness to send such instructions by telegraph to the Viceroy of Nanking as will insure the prompt fulfilment of the terms of the arrangement made by the Wai-wo Pu with myself two months ago.
1 avail, &c. (Signed)
L. D. CARNEGIE,
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
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(No. 352.) Sir,
No. 1.
[October 6.]
SECTION 10.
47844
TREZE DA NOV DA
Mr. Carnegie to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 6.)
Peking, August 21, 1906. IN my despatch No. 300 of the 11th ultimo I had the honour to inform you that the draft of a note to the Wai-wu Pu on the subject of the Supplementary Rules for the Mixed Court at Shanghae was in course of preparation. The draft, together with the amended Rules, has now been approved by the foreign Representatives interested in the matter, who have signed a joint note, which was forwarded to its destination on the 14th instant. I should explain that while this note, copy of which forms Inclosure 4 in this despatch, is in French the draft Rules transmitted in it were allowed to remain in English, to avoid the delay their translation would have occasioned.
Sir E. Satow forwarded to the Marquess of Lansdowne copy of the amended Rules as first presented to the Chinese Government in his despatch No. 6 of the 10th January, 1905. In order to show the subsequent progress of the negotiations, I have the honour to inclose translation of a noto dated the 4th December, 1905, containing the reply of the Chinese Government which was obtained only after urgent and repeated representa- tions had been made to them by His Majesty's and other Ministers, as will be seen by reference to various despatches from this Legation of last year.
Owing to the state of affairs prevailing at Shanghae after the riots in December, it was considered advisable to postpone for a time further discussion, and it was not until the 5th March that the joint note, of which I inclose copy, was communicated by the It will be observed that the doyen of the Diplomatic Body to the Wai-wu Pu. amendments recommended by the foreign Representatives were comparatively unimportant, so that an early and satisfactory settlement appeared probable.
The reply of the Chinese Government of the 3rd ultimo, translation inclosed, shows, however, that they can have no great desire to dispose of this question, as many entirely new provisions are inserted, and further amendments are proposed in certain of the Rules which had already been agreed to by both sides. My despatch No. 300 contained observations on the principal points raised by the Chinese Government which have had to be rejected as totally inadmissible.
On further consideration of the matter my American and German colleagues and I deemed it advisable not to address individual notes to the Wai-wu Pu (see my above- mentioned despatch), and waited to sign the joint note, the circulation of which among my colleagues was accelerated as much as possible.
(Traduction.)
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
LANCELOT D. CARNEGIE,
Prince Ch'ing to Baron von Mumm.
Pékin, le 4 Décembre, 1905. LE 30 de la 11 lune de la 30° année Kuanghsü (le 5 Janvier, 1905) son Excellence le Baron Czikann, jadis Ministre d'Autriche-Hongrie et Doyen du Corps Diplomatique, m'avait adressé une note officielle au sujet de la revision des Règlements du Tribunal Mixte à Shanghai. Il était dit dans la note que les travaux du Tribunal ont eu tendanco constante à s'augmenter et que, puisque la revision des Règlements était devenue, par conséquent, une nécessité urgente, les Consuls étrangers à Shanghaï avaient eu soin de les prendre en considération et avaient proposé des amendements qu'ils avaient transmis aux Représentants des Puissances à Pékin, lesquels me les communiquaient. La note était accompagnée d'une proposition d'amendements en onze Articles.
Ce Ministère a entretenu une correspondance continuelle avec le Surintendant du Commerce du Sud au sujet de cette question, et il l'a pressé à plusieurs reprises par écrit,
[2183 ƒ-10]
B