Yaran to Mr. Baa-Irors id e Despatch No.
32 of 21/5/99.
Mr. Bax-Iron-
side to Yamen No.43 (Des-
patch) of 23/5/ 99.
The Marques B of Salisbury to Lo Feng-luh Chinese Minis- ter to London, Note dated 30/ 5/1899.
x
5
16
on the 16th and 17th May. The Yamen protested on the
21st May that this was in direct contravention of the
Convention and requested that His Majesty's Chargé
telegraph to His Majesty's Goverment to order the with-
drawal of the occupying forces. His Majesty's Chargé
replied on 23rd May, reiterating the arguments
expounded to the Yamen at the interview of 29th April
and the views of His Majesty's Government as communicated
-
to the Yamen on May 1st, and stated that the local
measures referred to in that communication were now be-
ing taken without reference to the Peking Goverment.
The Yamen had excused the Viceroy as not being respon-
sible (for the attacks on British officials and troops)
but it was impossible for His Majesty's Government to
accept that view. His Majesty's Chargé therefore did
not feel justifi ed in telegraphing to His Majesty's
Government in the sense desired.
On the 30th May the Marquess of alisbury handed
to Lo Feng-luh, in reply to a telegram from the Yamen
which Lo had left at the Foreign Office, a Note reviewing
the facts from April 3 to the date of the occupation of
Shan chun and the expulsion of the Chinese troops and of-
ficials am fic ia ls from Kowloon and stating that "in view of the
fact that the Chime se Government do not hold them selves
responsible for attacks by local mobs on British troops,
the obligatim falls on His Majesty's Government of per-
forming the duty which is usually performed by the sover-
eign of the country, but which the Chire se Government de-
cline. After the recent experiem e which they have had
not only of the worthlessness of the protection extended
by the Chinese garrison at Kowloon, but of the additional
danger involved in its presence,
presence, it is impossible for
/H18