i
the National Council decided upon the method of election by
them of senators. Each Chamber of Commerce of Chinese
settlers abroad was permitted to elect one elector, these
representatives to form the 'Chinese Settlers Election
Association'. As the latter was to be formed at the seat
of the Government of the Republic, its formation by its
members was a matter concerning the internal government of
China and did not conflict with the sovereign rights of the
countries in which its members were settled. As for the
word 'election', it was merely the universal custom of
public nomination which was employed.
Detailed Rules for the Election of Senators shows clearly
Article XXII of the
the intention of the method adopted. The public nominations
by the settlers was similar to the custom of public nomina-
tion of suitable officers as Chairmen of Associations,
Guilds, Bureaux and Societies which has existed for many
Until the arrival of the nominees at Peking and the
formation of the Association, their status was simply that
of the customary representatives of Chinese settlers; they
years.
could not be considered either as members of the Association
or as electors.
To
597
To sum up, inasmuch as the election by Chinese settlers took place at the seat of Government of the Republic, it does not affect the sovereign rights of the countries in
which they were settled. As for the members of the
Chinese Settlers Election Association, they were nominated
according to the custom previously existing in the case of Chairmen of Associations, etc., and the formal method of
election was not employed. Thus a difference existed
(between the method employed) and that in use in China for
the election of Administrative officials, and for this
reason it is still more clear that the method employed did not injure the sovereign rights of the countries in which
the Chinese settlers lived".
It appears to the Wai Chiao Pu from the above that it
is clearly explained that the election (of representatives)
of Chinese settlers abroad does not injure Great Britain's
right of governing her dependencies. The Ministry trusts
Sir J. Jordan will communicate the contents of the above to
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs for his information.
(Seal of the Minister for Foreign Affairs)