M. le Consul-Général,
54
Inclosure 5 in No. 57.
Sir E. Satow to Doyen of Diplomatic Body.
Pékin, le 14 Octobre, 1903. J'AI eu l'honneur de recevoir la lettre que vous avez bien voulu m'adresser en date du 10 Septembre dernier pour me communiquer la demande qui vous a été faite, comme doyen du Corps Consulaire de Shanghai, par le Gouverneur-Général de Nankin, de lui livrer les rédacteurs du " Supao" et autres accusés, au nombre de six personnes en tout, qui se trouvent dans la prison municipale, et je me suis empressé de la porter à la connaissance de mes honorables collègues.
Le Corps Diplomatique est d'avis que, dans leur réponse au Gouverneur-Général, MM. les Consuls devraient lui faire savoir qu'ils ne sont pas en mesure de livrer les prévenus, mais qu'ils sont prêts à les faire juger par la Cour Mixte, au besoin, renforcée par un Magistrat Chinois élevé pour pouvoir, d'après la loi Chinoise, juger un fait pareil.
La note de MM. les Consuls devrait prévoir le cas d'un refus de la part du Gouverneur-Général d'accepter cette proposition, et attirer son attention sur l'impos- sibilité dans laquelle ils se trouveraient de maintenir les prévenus indéfiniment en état d'arrestation préventive.
MM. les Consuls pourraient ajouter que les prévenus devraient être jugés selon les règles de la justice la plus stricte, et devraient recevoir la punition qu'ils auront méritée s'ils seront reconnus coupables.
Enfin, ils pourraient faire savoir au Gouverneur-Général qu'il paraît désirable au Corps Diplomatique que des mesures soient prévues dès à présent afin de prévenir le retour d'incidents analogues.
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In the event of either or all being found guilty, the punishment should not, in my opinion, exceed five years' imprisonment with hard labour, and should be carried out in the municipal prison in accordance with the agreement made between the Taotaí and the Consular Body.
In case, however, the Viceroy refuses to agree to the proposal now made to him, you should ask for instructions before taking any further steps, either with respect to the discharge of the prisoners intimated in the third paragraph of the doyen's letter to Mr. Goodnow, or with regard to the measures referred to in the last paragraph for the prevention of similar occurrences in the future.
You should regard these instructions as strictly confidential.
No. 58.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ERNEST SATOW,
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.---(Received December 7.)
(No. 351.)
Peking, October 17, 1903. My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship a copy of a despatch reporting the occurrence of an anti-Catholic outbreak at a place named Ning-hai hsien, about 50 miles from Ningpo.
I have, &c. (Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
Inclosure 6 in No. 57.
Sir E. Sutow to Acting Consul-General Mansfield.
(No. 30. Confidential.) Sir,
Peking, October 14, 1903. WITH reference to the Viceroy's letter of the 30th August to the senior Consul demanding the surrender of the six prisoners now in custody in connection with the Supao case, and repudiating the agreement entered into by the Taotai with the Consular Body for the trial of the accused before the Mixed Court and for their punishment being undergone in the Foreign Settlement, I transmit, for your con- fidential information and guidance, copy of a draft letter agreed upon to-day by the Diplomatic Body, which is to be addressed to the doyen in their name to Mr. Goodnow.
2. When the Consular Body meets to discuss the terms of the senior Consul's reply to the Viceroy, you should endeavour to insure that it is framed in strict accordance with the letter from the doyen, of which I am transmitting a copy to you.
I am, &c.
(No. 31.) Sir,
(Signed)
Inclosure 7 in No. 57.
ERNEST SATOW.
Sir E. Satow to Acting Consul-General Mansfield.
Peking, October 14, 1903. WITH reference to my despatch No. 30 of to-day's date, I have to request you, in the event of the Viceroy agreeing to the proposal to try the prisoners before the Mixed Court, to use such efforts as you properly can to arrange that the Chinese official who is added to that Court for the purpose of the trial is the Shanghae Hsien, in accordance with the verbal suggestion made by the Taotai on the occasion of my conversation with him.
Inclosure in No. 58.
Consul Mortimore to Sir E. Sutow.
(No. 12.)
Ningpo, October 7, 1903. Sir,
I REGRET to report the occurrence of an anti-Catholic outbreak at Ning-hai hsien, about 150 li from Ningpo, the particulars of which have been furnished me by the Rev. K. McLeod, a China Inland missionary resident there.
The Catholics are only represented at Ning-hai by a native priest, who appears to have been in league with a man called Wang Ch'eü-ch'uan in seriously oppressing the people, who, failing to get redress, resolved to take matters into their own hands, and on Saturday the 3rd instant, under the leadership of a man called Wang Hsi-t'ung, collected from the whole country side some 600 strong and marched into the city with the intention of destroying the Catholic premises and capturing the most obnoxious members of that sect. The men were under the strictest control, and had received orders not to molest any one except Catholics, and as the whole country side, the city, and the soldiers were with them, the officials could do nothing to stop them. The Catholic premises were set on fire about midday on Saturday, but the Catholics, having had warning of what was going to happen, had mostly fled, and later on the houses of the more obnoxious members were pulled down, but not burnt, lest the houses of innocent people should take fire. Search was also made for the native priest, who was at last discovered hiding in a tobacco shop. Being armed with a revolver he wounded two or three men before being overcome when he was beheaded, disembowelled, and the body dragged on to the execution ground.
On Sunday the 4th more men came into the city and a few more Catholics were Late in the afternoon it caught, and in some cases released after paying a ransom.
was reported that Wang Ch'eü-ch'uan had been caught at a village some 60 li from Ning-hai, and that he had offered 3,000 dollars for his release, which had been refused. If this is true, as this man was the real source of the oppression, the people will probably disperse to their homes without further trouble. Mr. McLeod and his mission appears to have been quite unmolested all though; in fact his converts attended the Sunday services as usual. The outbreak seems to have been directed against Catholics solely, and great care taken that no innocent people suffered in consequencé.