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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference --

C.O. 882

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

RF

3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

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through the harbour of Hong Kong at the time of the impending hostilities between China and Japan, and that in the case of Gibraltar the Law Officers have advised that the revenue cruizers of Spain may properly be excluded from British waters.

It would seem, therefore, that there would be no legal objection to the course pro- posed, which, in other respects, appears to Lord Carnarvon to be quite justifiable under the circumstances of the case.

13. Moreover, there can be no doubt that the action of the Chinese revenue steamers, sailing-vessels and boats in the Harbour of Victoria, within sight of the whole community, not only keeps up a feeling of irritation among the British residents, but is calculated to create a false impression among the Chinese in the Colony, by whom the tacit acquies- cence of the British Government in these extraordinary proceedings is not improbably attributed to fear of the Chinese anthorities, and to a recognition of their unjust pretensions.

In conclusion I am to state that Lord Carnarvon, though not prepared to give his adhesion to any arrangement which had not previously been considered and discussed in the Colony, concurs in the approval which Lord Derby proposes to convey to Her Majesty's Consul of the language held by him to the Acting Viceroy on the occasion of their interview, and trusts that Sir Brooke Robertson will not relax in his efforts to bring this troublesome question to a satisfactory conclusion.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

No. 12.

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

Foreign Office to Colonial Office.

Foreign Office, February 18, 1876.

Sir,

I AM directed by the Earl of Derby to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, on the subject of the so-called blockade of Hong Kong by Chinese cruisers; and I am to state to you, for the information of the Earl of Carnarvon, that a copy thereof will be sent to Sir Brooke Robertson, with instructions to use all the means in his power to bring about a satisfactory adjustment of the differences pending between the Provincial and Colonial Governments, and I am to request that, in laying this letter before Lord Carnarvon, you will move his Lordship to defer giving the colonial authorities any positive instructions to exclude Chinese revenue vessels from Hong Kong waters, until a further report has been received from Consul Robertson.

I am further to point out to you, with reference to this subject, that the objection taken at Gibraltar, to which allusion is made in your letter, was to illegal seizures of British vessels, or to any seizures within British waters, and to Spanish revenue cruisers, or "guarda costas," loitering or hovering within British waters with the view of effecting such seizures, and not to the mere entrance or passage through them of Spanish revenue cruisers.

I am, &c.

No. 13.

(Signed)

TENTERDEN.

20

the Chinese authorities by Mr. Tonnochy, the Acting Registrar in case No. 3, which you will find at the end of the second inclosure to the Foreign Office letter of the 7th December, and I request that you will obtain from that officer some report of the evidence on which he founded this charge.

Sir,

I have, &c.

(Signed)

CARNARVON.

No. 14.

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.

Downing Street, February 29, 1876.

I AM directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, in reply to the letter from this department of the 27th ultimo, on the subject of the proceedings of the Chinese revenue cruisers in the harbour of Hong Kong, and of the suggestion made by the local Government that these vessels should be excluded from the colonial waters.

With reference to the last paragraph of your letter, I am to request that you will draw the attention of the Earl of Derby to the letter from the Foreign Office of the 23rd of October, 1872, communicating to the Earl of Kimberley the opinion of the Law Officers, in the following terms :-

"The Law Officers have advised that Her Majesty's Government has the right to prevent Spanish revenue vessels from coming within the territorial waters of Gibraltar, and would be justified in taking any measures in preventing the capture of vessels by Spanish revenue vessels within the territorial limits, or enforcing the liberation of vessels so captured."

I am desired, however, to add that in any case Lord Carnarvon did not propose to take any action with reference to the exclusion of Chinese revenue cruisers from the Hong Kong waters without the concurrence of Lord Derby, and his Lordship trusts that the instructions which, he is glad to learn, are about to be sent to Sir B. Robertson may result in some arrangement which may obviate the necessity of resorting to any unfriendly

am, &c. (Signed)

measures.

Sir,

No. 15.

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

Foreign Office to Colonial Office.

Foreign Office, March 10, 1876. WITH reference to your letter of the 29th ultimo,t I am directed by Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to transmit to you, to be laid before the Earl of Carnarvon, for his perusal, a despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, in regard to the alleged blockade of Hong Kong by Chinese Revenue cruizers.

I am, &c. (Signed) TENTERDEN.

(No. 21.) Sir,

The Earl of Carnarvon to Governor Sir A. E. Kennedy, K.C.M.G.,

C.B.

Downing Street, February 29, 1876. WITH reference to your despatch No. 155 of the 16th November last, and in continuation of my despatch No. 74 of the 25th of August last,† I transmit to you a copy of a further correspondence with the Foreign Office, on the proceedings of the Chinese revenue cruizers in Hong Kong waters.

From the lettter of the Foreign Office of the 18th instant, you will perceive that some doubt is entertained as to the right of Her Majesty's Government, in time of peace, to exclude Chinese revenue cruisers from Hong Kong waters; and I trust that some arrangement may yet be agreed upon which will obviate the necessity of resorting to such

a measure.

In the meantime, I wish to draw your attention to the charge of torture made against

• No. 11.

+ Nos. 10 and 7.

Nos. 9, 11, 19, and 14.

Inclosure 1 in No. 15.

My Lord,

Canton, January 18, 1876. I HAVE the honour to forward, for the information of the Earl of Derby, copy of a despatch I have addressed to Her Majesty's Minister at Peking on the subject of the so-called blockade of Hong Kong by Chinese Customs cruizers.

I have, &c. (Signed)

The Right Hon. Lord Tenterden, C.B.,

&c.

(574)

&c.

* No. 12.

&c.

B. ROBERTSON, Consul.

+ No. 14.

H