PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
། ། ། ། ། T
اسلائسلسلة
Reference :-
C.O. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
13622.
(No. 107.)
164
No. 171.
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(Received May 27, 1899.)
[Answered by No. 198.j
SIR,
Government House, Hong Kong, April 28, 1899. THE late unfortunate disturbances in the leased area render it expedient that I should place you in possession of all the facts bearing upon the present situation.
2. It will be remembered that there has been considerable delay in arranging for the delimitation of the northern boundary. In August the entire district was visited by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, whose able report has been considered by you. Immediately after his arrival from England on the 3rd February, I entered upon the consideration of the details of administration of the new territory, while the question of the boun dary was being discussed between Her Majesty's and the Chinese Governments. All the details of the additional establishments, number and location of police, necessary públic works, &c., were determined by the time when the boundary was fixed on behalf of the two Governments by Deputy Wang and Mr. Stewart Lockhart on the 14th March.
3. On the 24th March, Mr. May, the Captain Superintendent of Police, pro- ceeded to Taipohü, and selected a site for a station. On the 31st March he again visited the place and found the framework of a matshed erected by the contractor, who had, however, ceased to work, as he was ordered to desist by the villagers. I may observe that matsheds are temporary structures of bamboo poles, rafters, and floors, with sides and roof of palm leaves. They are put up without nails, and very rapidly, and are strong and watertight.
4. On being appealed to by the villagers to remove the matshed, as its position would interfere with their "Fung-Sui" or good luck, he declined to do so, or consider the matter until they permitted the workmen to proceed, so work was resumed. On the next day he returned, and in deference to the objections of the villagers, he asked them to point out another site, which they did, on which he ordered the frame to be taken down and removed to the new site. As soon as the workmen had well begun on the new shed, they were resisted, upon which a message was sent to the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Stewart Lockhart.
5. On that day Mr. Stewart Lockhart came to me bringing with him an in- flammatory placard that was, according to the information given to him, being posted in the villages of the leased area. A copy of this placard was transmitted with my despatch, No. 82, of 1st instant.* At the same time the information was given to me that the workmen erecting the matsheds were stopped by threats. Mr. Lockhart, who has a long experience in China, said that the consequences of the issue of this placard, and the stoppage of the work of erecting the matshed, would be very serious. He suggested that I should send him to Canton to see the Viceroy, as not a moment should be lost. I concluded that if it was necessary to see the Viceroy, I had better see him myself. I telegraphed to the Consul at Canton that I desired to see the Viceroy next day, and next morning started from here at 5 a.m., taking Mr. Stewart Lockhart with me. Up to that time, although apparently everything was friendly in the new territory, we were only on sufferance in erecting matsheds, and it became evident that if the Viceroy would not accept responsibility for their protection, I must either defer any preparation for the accommodation of the police, or apply for authority to take over possession without further delay.
6. I have reported the circumstances of my visit to the Viceroy in my despatch, No. 87, of 7th instant. He accepted all the responsibility for the protection of the matsheds, which involved his permission to erect them, and in accordance with his promise, telegraphed at once to the Colonel stationed at Kowloon, to prepare for 300 men who were to proceed to any portion of the leased area desired by this Government, so as to afford protection to the matsheds being erected, and also to surveying parties, and generally to preserve order. These soldiers were sent down within three days, and the places to which we wished them to be sent were indicated by the Colonial Secretary. The Viceroy also issued a proclamation to be posted in various villages calling upon the people to be of good behaviour, and stating that the area had been leased to Great
↑ No. 140.
• No. 135.
165
Britain by the Emperor of China. Thus the entire responsibility for the peace and good order of the leased area was undertaken by the Viceroy, as I was determined not to send any armed men into the territory until I was about to take possession.
7. On the evening of the 1st April Mr. May returned, and reported to me that the contractor's men had stopped work and come away, so he had left two Indian police and two Chinese in charge of the sheds in course of erection, and the materials. I dis- approved of leaving any armed men in Chinese territory, and directed him to withdraw them. He said that he had promised the villagers to return, and would go in himself and withdraw them, feeling that possibly an explanation with the people, when their tempers had time to cool, would settle matters without further trouble.
8. Accordingly, early on Monday morning, the 3rd instant, he proceeded to Taipohti, calling at Kowloon en route, and taking with him five Chinese soldiers, to whom, under the instructions of the Viceroy was to be handed over the protection of the matshed and the workmen. Additional soldiers were to be sent on as soon as they had arrived from Canton. Mr. May took with him six unarmed Sikh police, merely as a formal escort as is usual in China. At 12 midnight, I received a pencilled note in Mr. May's pocket-book, brought by one of the Chinese who had been left at the matshed, in which he said that he was attacked by a mob, and would hold the matshed until morn- ing, but urgently required relief. I requested Major-General Gascoigne to send a force to relieve him, and at 3.30 a.m. Major-General Gascoigne proceeded himself in Her Majesty's ship" Whiting," accompanied by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, and taking with him 100 men of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Of the two matsheds partially erected they found one burnt, but the principal one was untouched. The people informed them that Mr. May and his party had left for Hong Kong, so they returned. In the forenoon Mr. May returned, and reported that he and his party had been assailed with stones and other missiles, and seeing after 9 o'clock that signals were being shown and drums beaten, indicating a general concentration of villagers, he retreated over the hill, and remained concealed until morning, seeing, as he thought, both matsheds on fire. He heard a general advance upon the hill upon which he had first taken up his position. He reported that the Chinese soldiers sent in with him had behaved very well.
9. I immediately telegraphed to Her Majesty's Consul at Canton as follows:-
Thank Viceroy for prompt orders to Kowloon. Inform His Excellency that British official and men with five Chinese soldiers were attacked this evening at Taipohü. Sending a force to relieve them and remove them, leaving protection of property to Chinese Government. Request Viceroy to order sufficient force to be sent without delay to preserve order and fully protect workers. A considerable force will be neces- sary. I have directed the relieving force now proceeding in one of Her Majesty's ships not to do more than relieve British subjects, except they are attacked."
I telegraphed again on the 5th as follows:-
Inform Viceroy troops not yet arrived, neither has San-On Magistrate issued Viceroy's proclamation. The names of ringleaders Monday's attack given Kowloon Authority, but instructions from Viceroy to San-On Magistrate to arrest guilty parties necessary. Please request that instructions be given."
10. In response to those telegrams, I was informed that 600 soldiers had been sent into the leased area to preserve order. Immediately after the occurrence I con- sidered the position in Executive Council, and decided not to take over the territory until the 17th, as the occurrence seemed to be nothing more than a sudden affray, and as the Viceroy had accepted all the responsibility, and undertaken to afford protection, the contractor could go on and reconstruct the matsheds. The contractor resumed work and finished the matsheds on the 14th instant sufficiently to enable them to be occupied.
11. On the 7th instant I issued a proclamation in Chinese, a copy of which I annex, and published a notice in the "Gazette" that I would take over the territory in accordance with Her Majesty's Order in Council, on the 17th. I also mormed the Viceroy through Her Majesty's Consul. By general desire the day was proclaimed a public holiday, and large numbers of the inhabitants of Hong Kong of all classes in- tended to be present.
12.
1
All this time Mr. Lockhart was assured by Chinese to whom he looked for information that the people were all anxious that we should take over the territory," few of the gentry alone being antagonistio.
18. On the 14th Mr. Lockhart received information from an inhabitant of Taipohu that the matsheds were quite unprotected, and, as there were rowdies about, it would be well to have them occupied lest some mischievous person should burn them. As it was intended that the 25 police to be stationed there, with a company of the