CO882-(4-5) — Page 539

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

FREICO. 882

سائنس

116

respecting the attitude of the Viceroy of Kwang Tung in regard to the handing over of the new territory, and stating the action that he himself proposes to take in the matter. These proposals Mr. Chamberlain has approved.

4. It may reasonably be hoped that the concession as to the temporary retention of the Chinese Customs stations on the islands will prevent any further obstruction on the part of the Chinese Government, but Mr. Chamberlain would suggest that the Tsungli Yamên should be urged by telegram to allow no further difficulties to be raised in the matter, and to withdraw the three Customs stations mentioned in the telegrams at the earliest possible moment, as their retention, even for a few months, will in all probability lead to friction and ill feeling.

I am, &c.,

9336.

No. 100.

C. P. LUCAS.

117

I said I could not send any further telegram to Hong Kong of that nature.

I warned them that Sir Henry Blake would assume control on the 17th in any case.

I could get no promise that Viceroy would be instructed, but doubtless they are in communication with him.

Sir Henry Blake has been informed.

Enclosure 2 in No. 101.

The MARQUESS or Salisbury to Mr. BAX-IRONSIDE.

(No. 67.) (Telegraphic.) P.

Foreign Office, April 14, 1899. Hong Kong Extension: Your telegram No. 93 of the 8th April. Intention of Governor of Hong Kong to take over territory on the 17th instant has been approved.

Instructions have been sent to him that he must agree to retention of Chinese customs at stations named until other arrangements can be made, but in no case later than October.

You should urge Yamên to withdraw these customs stations at earliest possible moment, and to allow no further difficulties to be raised,

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT-TO

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 9.30 a.m., April 14, 1899.)

TELEGRAM.

[Copy to Foreign Office, April 15, 1899. L.F.]

[See No. 98: Answered by No. 103.]

I have informed Peking. Am I to understand Customs Officers can [exercise] function in territorial waters of Colony pending removal ?

9549 3.

(Confidential.)

No. 101.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received April 15, 1899.)

Mr. Ironside, Telegram No. 99,

April 14, 1899.

THE Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit, for the information of Mr. Secretary Chamberlain the accompanying copies of telegrams, as marked in the margin, relating to the Hong Kong Extension.

To Mr. Ironside. Telegram No.

67, April 14, 1899.

Foreign Office,

April 14, 1899.

April 14.

Enclosure 1 in No. 101.

Paraphrase of a Telegram from Mr. Bax-Ironside, Peking.

(D. 1.20 p.m., R. 4.0 p.m., April 14.)

No. 99. Sir Henry Blake telegraphed to me that he proposed, with sanction of Secretary of State, to assume Government on 17th instant, and that Viceroy at Canton had informed him that he would not 'hand over new territory on that date because Custom House must be removed.

He asked me to have instructions sent immediately to Viceroy to hand over on date arranged. I addressed a note to Yamen in this sense and saw Ministers yesterday.

They suggested a further conference between Governor and Viceroy, and complained of haste.

9509.

(No. 66.)

SIR,

•

No. 102.

Governor Sir H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.

(Received April 15, 1899.)

[Answered by No. 169.]

Government House, Hong Kong, March 17, 1899.

I HAVE the honour to inform you that Mr. Wong Tsun Shin, who was deputed by the Viceroy of Canton to assist in the delimitation of the northern boundary of the Kowloon extension, arrived on the 10th instant, and on the 11th had an interview with Mr. Stewart Lockhart. He returned to Canton on the 12th instant, to consult the Viceroy, and came back on the 14th instant, when he again met Mr. Lockhart with a proposal that the Sham Chun River should form the boundary. This was the ex- treme limit to which he was permitted to go.

2. He came here with Mr. Stewart Lockhart, and we discussed the matter for over two hours. I endeavoured to show him that it would be to the mutual advantage of China and this Government to have Sham Chun and Sha Tao Kok included in the leased territory, and pointed out to him that if they were they would still be open for the Chinese to as great an extent as at present, while if they are not ceded they will be closed to the Chinese inhabitants of this Colony, who have been in the habit of re- sorting to them, but it was clear that he had orders not to grant them. I then thought it well to have the river boundary formally agreed to as a provisional measure, leaving our pressing demand for the boundary of the base of the hills to the north open for further consideration at Pekin. I wrote an agreement which was signed by the Chinese Commissioner and Mr. Stewart Lockhart. I have explained the situation fully to Sir Claude MacDonald and sent him a copy of the map, of which I enclose a copy, being the only good survey of the boundary district that has yet been made. The pro- visional boundary is marked in red, the proposed boundary in blue. I have no doubt that it would be a great convenience to this Colony to have the two towns named in- cluded. But pending the further negotiations on the point the fixing of the boundary to the river will enable me to take over the territory, which I shall do as soon as the neces- sary preparations are complete for having a police force and a Magistrate there. I shall inform you by telegraph when I can fix the date.

• Not reproduced.