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on the 8th instant, being retained until other arrangements could be made; but in no case later than October. Your Lordship added that the Governor's intention of taking over the territory on the 17th had been approved.
I was instructed to urge the Tsung-li Yamên to allow no further difficulties, and to withdraw the Customs stations referred to at the earliest possible moment.
On the same day I received a telegram from Sir Henry Blake containing the instructions which he had received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies in the same sense.
I informed Sir Robert Hart and the Chinese authorities, and telegraphed on the 15th instant that I had carried out your Lordship's instructions.
On Sunday, the 16th instant, I received a telegram from your Lordship informing me that the Government of Hong Kong had telegraphed that certain matsheds which the Viceroy undertook to protect were burned at Tai-po-hu on the 14th instant.
Your Lordship added that preparations were being made for ceremoniously taking over the territory on the 17th, but that the Colonial Secretary had been informed that a bad spirit had been developed and disturbances were apprehended. British troops had been ordered to act with forbearance, but, if attacked, British authority must be asserted. Your Lordship instructed me to impress on the Tsung-li Yamên the necessity for adequate precautions against any trouble.
These instructions I had already foreseen and carried out in my interview of the 13th instant, but I requested Mr. Fulford to call at the Yamen at once and see the Secretaries with a view to again impressing on the Chinese Ministers the importance of the two Governments acting in an amicable manner. Mr. Fulford communicated to them the gist of your Lordship's telegram of the 15th and the telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong of the 16th, with reference to the burning of the police sheds at Tai-po-hu in the Kowloon extension, and the attack by a band of Chinese on the British troops sent there.
Mr. Fulford again warned them that the Viceroy of Canton should be telegraphed to and ordered to take due precautions against disturbance. The district, he added, would be taken over on the 17th instant, as I had repeatedly informed the Tsung-li Yamen, and although the British troops had been instructed to show forbearance, they would, if attacked, have to assert their authority.
The Viceroy had disavowed the mob who had burned the police shed, and it was said that they were secret society men from an adjoining district. If this were so, the Viceroy was responsible for allowing such a hand to come into the leased district.
The Secretaries promised to urge the Ministers to send a telegram that very day. They remarked that the Viceroy had telegraphed that he had sent 600 soldiers to the district to preserve order.
I reported that I had carried out your Lordship's instructions, and had informed the Governor of Hong Kong.
On the same day I received a telegram from Hong Kong stating that the matsheds, which the Viceroy had undertaken to protect, were burned out on the 14th instant. The Governor stated that on the 15th, 100 men of the Hong Kong Regiment proceeded to Tai-po-hu to make arrangements for ceremoniously hoisting the flag on the 17th. They were opposed by a force of what they estimated to be 1,000 troops, who opened fire on them. Reinforcements had been sent out that morning under the command of the General.
The situation was grave. His Excellency added that the Viceroy disclaimed these men, who, from information received, appeared to be connected with the Triad Society from the North Sanoi district. He requested that the Viceroy be instructed forthwith to prevent incursions into British territory, and he reported that our troops had advanced and had driven the Chinese out of the shelter trenches from which they had kept up a sustained fire. The above was confirmed by a telegram which I received from your Lordship on the following day.
On Monday, the 17th instant, I received another telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong stating that he had hoisted the British flag on the previous day at Tai-po-hu, and that the immediate removal from the territory of all the Chinese authorities and all the troops was absolutely necessary, except the Customs stations, which had been previously specially mentioned. All Chinese flags should also be removed by the 17th. His Excellency was anxious that I should have the Viceroy and Customs officers instructed in this sense, and he added that the Imperial Chinese Customs would be inconvenienced as little as possible.
On the 18th Sir Henry Blake again telegraphed to the effect that the British troops were attacked on the 17th, had repulsed the enemy, pursued, and captured two guns.
On the 19th instant I received a telegram from your Lordship informing me that the Governor of Hong Kong reported that the Viceroy of Canton had declined to reply to his request, sent through Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, that Chinese officials and troops should be removed from the leased territory, and that on the 14th 600 Chinese troops were sent into Kowloon city. The presence of these troops was inconsistent with the military requirements for the defence of Hong Kong, and they could not be reconciled with the Convention of the 9th June, 1898. The Governor had been authorized to repeat the demand to the Viceroy that the troops should be removed by a specific date.
Your Lordship instructed me to urge the Yamên that stringent orders should be given to the Viceroy to remove the troops, and to impress upon their Excellencies that the results of neglect to observe the stipulations of the Convention would be serious.
I at once asked for an urgent interview with the Tsung-li Yamên, adding a request that I hoped His Highness Prince Ching would be present, as I had an important communication to make with regard to Kowloon.
The interview was fixed for the following day, the 20th instant, and seven Ministers were present, but not Prince Ching, who, their Excellencies said, was prevented from coming, at so short a notice, by other engagements.
I acquainted the Tsung-li Yamên with the contents of your Lordship's telegram, to which the Ministers replied that they had received a telegram from the Viceroy of Canton to the effect that, at the special request of the Hong Kong Government, troops had been sent to Kowloon to preserve order. Their information from Canton conflicted, therefore, with the purport of the telegram I had communicated to them.
Complaints, they said, had been made to the Canton Viceroy that soldiers in uniform were involved in the disturbances, but his Excellency had explained that they were not his soldiers, only local levies. According to the Yamên's information 300 troops had been sent to Shamchun and 300 to Kowloon to keep order.
I interposed and pointed out that the request to preserve order was made before the Hong Kong Government had taken over the territory. Now that this was done, Her Majesty's Government wanted the troops removed, and the Viceroy refused to take the necessary steps; hence the present trouble.
The Minister said that they saw no reason why the Government of Hong Kong should not speak to the Viceroy direct on this subject.
I replied that the Governor had done so, but that the Viceroy had refused to remove the troops.
Their Excellencies said that they would make inquiries and see what the Viceroy replied. No doubt, they added, he was relying on the paragraph in the Kowloon Convention, which allowed Chinese officials to exercise jurisdiction in Kowloon city.
I dwelt on the grave and pressing character of the situation. The continuance of Chinese jurisdiction in Kowloon city was expressly made contingent on the military requirements for the defence of Hong Kong, and the Tsung-li Yamen should fully realize that all the troops in the leased territory must be removed.
The Ministers promised to telegraph the purport of my communications and remarks to the Viceroy of Canton.
The same evening I shortly reported the result of this portion of my interview with the Tsung-li Yamên to your Lordship by telegraph.
On the following day I received a telegram from Hong Kong informing me that the Viceroy of Canton had telegraphed privately to the Commandant of the coast fortifications that if any British men-of-war, numbering over three, entered the harbour fire was immediately to be opened on them.
I have, &c. (Signed)
H. O. BAX-IRONSIDE.
3
429
2
on the 8th instant, being retained until other arrangements could be made; but in no case later than October. Your Lordship added that the Governor's intention of taking over the territory on the 17th had been approved.
I was instructed to urge the Tsung-li Yamên to allow no further difficulties, and to withdraw the Customs stations referred to at the earliest possible moment.
On the same day I received a telegram from Sir Henry Blake containing the instructions which he had received from the Secretary of State for the Calonies in the
same sense.
I informed Sir Robert Hart and the Chinese authorities, and telegraphed on the 15th instant that I had carried out your Lordship's instructions.
On Sunday, the 16th instant, I received a telegram from your Lordship informing me that the Government of Hong Kong had telegraphed that certain matsheds which the Viceroy undertook to protect were burned at Tai-po-hu on the 14th instant.
Your Lordship added that preparations were being made for ceremoniously taking over the territory on the 17th, but that the Colonial Secretary had been informed that a bad spirit had been developed and disturbances were apprehended. British troops had been ordered to act with forbearance, but, if attacked, British authority must be asserted. Your Lordship instructed me to impress on the Tsung-li Yamén the necessity for adequate precautions against any trouble.
These instructions I had already foreseen and carried out in my interview of the 13th instant, but I requested Mr. Fulford to call at the Yamen at once and see the Secretaries with a view to again impressing on the Chinese Ministers the Mr. Fulford importance of the two Governments acting in an amicable manner. communicated to them the gist of your Lordship's telegram of the 15th and the telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong of the 16th, with reference to the burning of the police sheds at Tai-po-hu in the Kowloon extension, and the attack by a band of Chinese on the Britisli troops sent there.
Mr. Fulford again warned them that the Viceroy of Canton should be telegraphed to and ordered to take due precautions against disturbance. The district, he added, would be taken over on the 17th instant, as I had repeatedly informed the Tsung-li Yamen, and although the British troops had been instructed to show forbearance, they would, if attacked, have to assert their authority.
The Viceroy had disavowed the mob who had burned the police shed, and it was If this were said that they were secret society men from an adjoining district. so, the Viceroy was responsible for allowing such a hand to come into the leased district.
The Secretaries promised to urge the Ministers to send a telegram that very day. They remarked that the Viceroy had telegraphed that he had sent 600 soldiers to the district to preserve order.
I reported that I had carried out your Lordship's instructions, and had informed the Governor of Hong Kong.
On the same day I received a telegram from Hong Kong stating that the mat sheds, which the Viceroy had undertaken to protect, were burned out ou the 14th instant. The Governor stated that on the 15th, 100 men of the Hong Kong Regiment proceeded to Tai-po-hu to make arrangements for ceremoniously hoisting the flag on the 17th. They were opposed by a force of what they estimated to be Reinforcements had been sent out that 1,000 troops, who opened fire on them.
The situation was grave. His morning under the command of the General. Excellency added that the Viceroy disclaimed these men, who, from information received, appeared to be connected with the Triad Society from the North Sanoi district. He requested that the Viceroy be instructed forthwith to prevent incursions into British territory, and he reported that our troops had advanced and had driven the Chinese out of the shelter trenches from which they had kept up a sustained fire. The above was confirmed by a telegram which I received from your Lordship on the following day.
On Monday, the 17th instant, I received another telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong stating that he had hoisted the British flag on the previous day af Tai-po-hu, and that the immediate removal from the territory of all the Chinese author rities and all the troops was absolutely necessary, except the Customs stations, which had been previously specially mentioned. All Chinese flags should also be removed by the 17th. His Excellency was anxious that I should have the Viceroy and Customs officers instructed in this sense, and he added that the Imperial Chinese Customs would be inconvenienced as little as possible.
On the 18th Sir Henry Blake again telegraphed to the effect that the British
3
troops were attacked on the 17th, had repulsed the enemy, pursued, and captured two
guns.
On the 19th instant I received a telegram from your Lordship informing me that the Governor of Hong Kong reported that the Viceroy of Canton had declined to reply to his request, sent through Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, that Chinese officials and troops should be removed from the leased territory, and that on the 14th 600 Chinese troops were sent into Kowloon city. The presence of these troops was inconsistent with the military requirements for the defence of Hong Kong, and they could not be reconciled with the Convention of the 9th June, 1898. The Governor had been autho- rized to repeat the demand to the Viceroy that the troops should be removed by a specific date.
Your Lordship instructed me to urge the Yamên that stringent orders should be given to the Viceroy to remove the troops, and to impress upon their Excellencies that the results of neglect to observe the stipulations of the Convention would be serious.
I at once asked for an urgent interview with the Tsung-li Yamên, adding a request that I hoped His Highness Prince Ching would be present, as I had an important communication to make with regard to Kowloon.
The interview was fixed for the following day, the 20th instant, and seven Ministers were present, but not Prince Ching, who, their Excellencies said, was pre- vented from coming, at so short a notice, by other engagements.
I acquainted the Tsung-li Yamên with the contents of your Lordship's telegram, to which the Ministers replied that they had received a telegram from the Viceroy of Canton to the effect that, at the special request of the Hong Kong Government, troops had been sent to Kowloon to preserve order. Their information from Canton, conflicted, therefore, with the purport of the telegram. I had communicated to
them.
Complaints, they said, had been made to the Canton Viceroy that soldiers in uniform were involved in the disturbances, but his Excellency had explained that they were not his soldiers, only local levies. According to the Yamên's informa- tion 300 troops had been sent to Shamchun and 300 to Kowloon to keep order.
I interposed and pointed out that the request to preserve order was made before
the Hong Kong Government had taken over the territory.
Now that this was done. Her Majesty's Government wanted the troops removed, and the Viceroy rofused to take the necessary steps; hence the present trouble.
The Minister said that they saw no reason why the Government of Hong Kong should not speak to the Viceroy direct on this subject.
I replied that the Governor had done so, but that the Viceroy had refused to remove the troops.
Their Excellencies said that they would make inquiries and see what the Viceroy replied. No doubt, they added, he was relying on the paragraph in the Kowloon Convention, which allowed Chinese officials to exercise jurisdiction in Kowloon city.
I dwelt on the grave and pressing character of the situation.
The continuance of Chinese jurisdiction in Kowloon city was expressly made contingent on the military requirements for the defence of Hong Kong, and the Tsung-li Yamen should fully realize that all the troops in the leased territory must be
removed.
The Ministers promised to telegraph the purport of my communications and remarks to the Viceroy of Canton.
The same evening I shortly reported the result of this portion of my interview with the Tsung-li Yamên to your Lordship by telegraph.
On the following day I received a telegram from Hong Kong informing me that the Viceroy of Canton had telegraphed privately to the Commandant of the coast fortifications that if any British men-of-war, numbering over three, entered the harbour fire was immediately to be opened on them.
I have, &c. (Signed)
H. O. BAX-IRONSIDE.
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