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89

38401.

SIR,

No. 70.

COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE.

WITH reference to the ninth Extract, Colonial Office to Bir F. Swetten-

ham, 9 Oct. (pars. 3 and 4 only), Sir F. Swettenham, 9 October, Colonial Office to Treasury, 18 October. Treasury, 8 November.

Downing Street, November 16, 1900. paragraph of the letter from this Department of the 9th ultimo, respecting the assumption by the Colonial Office of the civil administration of Wei- hai-Wei, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for the infor- mation of Mr. Secretary Brodrick, a copy of further correspondencet respecting the proposal to make the British dollar legal tender at Wei-hai-Wei.

2. I am to request that this correspondence may be forwarded to General Dorward, and that he may be asked to consider it in connection with the previous correspondence on the subject, and, if he sees no objection and is satisfied that the British dollar will be accepted with sufficient freedom, to issue a proclamation con- stituting it legal tender, together with the Mexican dollar.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

36401.

No. 72.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE.

(No. 366.)

SIR,

Downing Street, November 22, 1900. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 352, of the 2nd August last,* suggesting that the British dollar should be made legal tender at Wei-hai-Wei.

2. The Commissioner at Wei-hai-Wei will be asked to consider the desirability of this proposal, and, if he sees no objection and is satisfied that the British dollar will be received with sufficient freedom, to issue a proclamation making both the British and the Mexican dollars legal tender.

39126.

I have, &c.,

J. CHAMBERLAIN.

No. 73.

To Sir E.

38042.

SIR,

No. 71.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received November 22, 1900.)

Foreign Office, November 21, 1900. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to transmit to you, Batow, No. to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the accompanying copy of a 7 Nov.,

despatch, as marked in the margin, on the subject of the administration of Wei- hai Wei.

132, of

1900.

I am, &c.,

FRANCIS BERTIE.

Enclosure in No. 71.

SIR,

WAR OFFICE to TREASURY.

[Communicated by War Office to Colonial Office, November 28, 1900.]

War Office, November 28, 1900. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to transmit to you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, copy of a letter† received from the Colonial Office, and dated 28th March, 1900, together with a reply, dated 20th September, 1900, from the Military Commissioner, Wei-Hai-Wei, relative to the pay of the civil police force at present employed in that island, and the provision for structural and sanitary works. £2,500 has already been issued to the Commis- sioner, as sanctioned in Treasury letter of 26th July last, 12629/1900, to meet the expenditure incurred in providing for the accommodation and maintenance of refugees. This expenditure is being defrayed temporarily from Army Funds, until the Civil Administration of the new territory is taken over by the Colonial Office on 1st January next, when the question of repayment to Army Funds of the amount expended on civil charges should be considered:

SIR,

The MARQUESs of Salisbury to Sir E. SATOW.

(No. 152. Confidential.)

Foreign Office, November 7, 1900.

I TRANSMIT to you herewith, for your information and guidance, a copy of a letter from the Colonial Office with a Report by Sir Frank Swettenham, containing recommendations and suggestions with regard to the future administration the answer which I have caused to be returned to that

Colonial Office, October 9, 1900. To Colonial Office, October 22, 1900. of Wei-hai-Wei, and a copy of communication.

You will see that, while fully appreciating the objections made by Sir F. Swetten- ham with reference to the continuation of Chinese jurisdiction within the walled city of Wei-hai-Wei, I have stated that I am unable to assent to its abolition, except after communication with the Chinese Government and in pursuance of some arrangement arrived at with them in regard to it. I have, however, to request you to approach the Tsung-li-Yamen on the subject as soon as an opportunity offers after the con- clusion of the present peace negotiations, and to endeavour to arrive at an under- standing with them for the withdrawal of the Chinese officials.

As regards the question of the rectification of the frontier where the line, as at present drawn, would traverse three villages, you should endeavour to arrange the matter, if possible, with the Chinese Government on the lines suggested by Sir F. Swettenham in paragraph 39 of his Report.

I shall be glad if, in accordance with Mr. Secretary Chamberlain's request, you can make arrangements with Mr. Barton to remain at Wei-hai-Wei for the present, pending the definite assumption by the Colonial Office of the administration.

I am, &c.,

SALISBURY.

• No. 61.

↑ Para. 3 and 4 of 24400: not printed; and Nos. 59, 64, and 67.

The Secretary

to the Treasury.

SIR,

I am, &c.,

FRANK T. MARZIALS.

Enclosure in No. 73.

MILITARY COMMISSIONER, Wei-Hai-Wei, to the WAR OFFICE.

Wei-Hai-Wei, September 20, 1900.

WITH reference to War Office letter, 088/3681, of 25th May, 1900, I have the honour to submit the following replies to the questions raised in the extract from Colonial Office letter, 28th March, 1900, 8931/1900.

2. Paragraph 5.-The Municipal Funds at present available, consisting of wharfage dues, licences (per native passenger boats, bumboats, hawkers, &c., &c.), amount only to about $200 a month, and would be quite inadequate to meet the expenditure referred to.

3. These Municipal Funds are at present credited to a cantonment fund and are expended on conservancy, street lighting and cleaning, maintenance of public latrines, and various incidental civil expenses, but they are not sufficient to cover the pay of the civil police or of structural works, such as the maintenance of police buildings and sanitary works, such as draining and concreting of nullahs, surface drains, &c.

4. Paragraph 6.-The expenditure in connection with the Civil Administration and cantonment is being kept down to the lowest possible limits, but the large influx of troops, followers, hospital establishments, &c., of the China Expeditionary Force,

• No. 55.

↑ No. 29.

6866

M

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TC.O. 882

6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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