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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C. O.
246
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[16206]
No. 1.
[May 1.1013 SECTION 13 JUN 07
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 18.)
(No. 157.) Sir,
Peking, April 1, 1907. WITH reference to my despatch No. 87, I have the honour to inclose translation of a note received from Prince Ch'ing on the 26th February on the subject of the property acquired by the Wesleyan Mission inside the city of Changsha. From the utter misapprehension of Treaty rights displayed in this note I gathered that it was the work of the Grand Secretary Ch'ü Hung-chi, with whom it appears to be useless to argue on any matter relating to Changsha and Hunan. His Excellency's position in the Grand Council and the Wai-wu Pu, taken in conjunction with the illness of Prince Ching, made me wish to avoid a direct conflict if possible, and I therefore made my objections to the note known privately to the Grand Secretary Na Tung, who was invited to arrange to have it withdrawn for correction. The latter was cautious- Ch'i Hung-chi is at the moment probably the most influential member of the Central Government in the absence of Prince Ch'ing-and would only promise to see what could be done. Next day he let me understand that he could do nothing, and I then brought the matter up at the Wai-wu Pu in an interview of the 5th March. The only Minister present was his Excellency Tong Shoa-yi, to whom I exposed the absurdity of the statement that the property of missionaries in Treaty ports was treated differently from that of other British subjects. I regretted my inability to accept the note, and his Excellency, who made no effort to defend it, expressed a strong desire that I should postpone handing it back until another occasion, when some of his colleagues would be present.
The Grand Secretary
I called again at the Wai-wu Pu on the 8th March. Na Tung was present, and both he and his Excellency Tong Shoa-yi endeavoured to induce me not to return the note, but to reply to it. I declined to waste my time and theirs refuting statements which could not be made by any one possessing an elementary acquaintance with Treaty rights and obligations, and after some discussion it was arranged, as an amicable compromise, that I should withdraw my original note of the 19th February while returning the Wai-wu Pu note of the 26th February, and treat the whole matter de novo.
Following this arrangement, I sent to the Wai-wu Pu on the 9th March a note which was, with one verbal alteration, identical with that of the 19th February, but up to the present I have not received a reply.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
(Translation.) Sir,
Prince Ch'ing to Sir J. Jordan.
[This note was handed back to the Wai-wu Pu.}
Kuang Hsü, 33rd year, 1st moon, 14th day (February 26, 1907).
I HAD the honour, on the 19th February, to receive a note from your Excellency informing me of a report from His Majesty's Consul at Changsha that the Magistrate had indorsed on the deeds of some property acquired by the Wesleyan Mission "This is the public property of a local Mission," and in the covering despatch it was stated that they were not at liberty to resell it. Your Excellency observes that the right of British subjects, whether merchants or missionaries, to purchase land or houses is incontestable, and requests that instructions be sent to the Governor of Hunan to delete the indorsement, and that he be informed that no limitations can be placed on the power of the Wesleyan Mission to deal with their property in the future as they may
think fit.
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