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Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
(FEB 15 1909)
Peking, January 20, 1909.
Your Highness: -
With reference to the seizure of the British
stealer Tai-on by the orders of the Viceroy of Canton, which
was the subject of verbal reprosentations made at the wai mu
Pu on Decerber 30th, I have the honour to state that I a: now
in receipt of a detailed report or the case from. His Majesty's
Consul-General, fron which it appears that the British certi-
Picate of registry of the Tai-on was deposited, according to
the Imperial Meriting dustons Regulations, with the Commissioner
of Customs at Kongmoon. That le to say, the Imperial Mari tine
Custone were aware that the Tai-on was a British ship, and I
bust assure that they so informed the Viceroy early in the
0800. Yet, though one or other or the Viceroy's five secreto-
ries was constantly calling at His Majesty's Consulate-Úeneral
on current business, and though His Majesty'a conal-General
had been the Viceroy personally on two occasions during the
week immediately preceding the seizure, neither Kis reellency
nor any one of his secretaries dropped so much as a hint that
so important a step as the seizure of a ship flying the British flag, commanded by a British master, and with a British certi-
ficate of registry, was under consideration.
I cannot believe that Fis Excellancy realized the gravity
of the stop he took in ordering the seizure of the Tai-on with-
out a preliminary understanding with His Majesty's Congular or
Naval Authorities on the spot. There was no doubt a misapprA-
hension on the part of the Goverment of Hongkong and is Kajes-
ty's Consulate-General, but that was no execuse whatever for
tho