CONFIDENTIAL
(7464.)
No. 118
(enclosure 2)
bir C. MacDonald to the Taung-11 Yumen
reking, January 2, 1900.
MM. les inistres,
R
I HAV the honour to reply to your lighness' and your Excellencies secret note of the 24th December, requesting me to telegraph to the Foreign Office with regard to the city of Yowloon.
I find that on the 6th liovember Mr. Bax-Ironide ad- dressed a note to the Yamen communicating a telegram from the Foreign Office on this subject, which contained the following passage:-
"On the 30th May last the marquess of Jalisbury ad- dressed a note to the Chinese Minister in London, stating the reasons why Her Majesty's Government cannot allow the resumption by Chinese authorities of jurisdiction in Kowloon city, and Her Majesty's Government adhere to the decision therein contained.
As your Highness and your excellencies may not have seen the note to the Chinese Minister above referred to, I have the honour to enclose a translation for your perusal. The note contains a detailed account of the circumstances in connection with the taking over of the Hong Kong extension. I will, however, add some particulars of the representatione
made to the Tsung-li Yamen by this Legation.
On the 4th April Her Majesty's Chargé d'affaires sent a red letter to the Yamen requesting that a telegram might be went to the Canton Viceroy to prevent the Chinese of the district from making any disturbance or offering obstruction to the taking over of the leased territory. On the 18th April a despatch was sent to the Yumen, on the 13th Mr. Bax-Ironside culled himself at the Yamen, all on the 16th sent the Chinese ecretary to the Yamen on the same business.
On the 20th and 29th April Er. Bux-lzongide went to the Yamen to ask that the Chinese troops be withdrawn, and on the let ay he sent a despatch on the subject.
On the 23rd Bay replying to a despatch from the Yamen requesting the withdrawal of British troops from Sham Chun and Yowloon city, Ar. Bax-Ironside wrote:-
"In view of the instructions I have received from Her Majesty's Government, I do not feel justified in telegraphing to Her Majesty's Secretary of State in the sense desired by the Yamen.
On the 1st October a despatch was received from the Yamen by this Legation, asking that a telegram might be sent to the Foreign Office requesting the restoration of
Sham Chun/
9.
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