CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 597

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Inclosure in No. 1.

587

MM, les Ministres,

Sir C. MacDonald to the Tsung-li Yamén.

Peking, April 8, 1900.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your despatch of the 7th instant, in reply to mine of the 4th April.

In your despatch you inform me that you had instructed the Viceroy of Canton to arrest the criminals concerned in the present case of piracy, and you beg me to telegraph to the Governor of Hong Kong to recall the British man-of-war which has gone to punish the pirates, so as to prevent alarm and suspicion amongst the local population,

As your Excellencies are aware these piracies have been going on for severcl years, and I have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Chinese Government to the great injury that is being done to trade and to the interests of Great Britain and also China by the said piracies being allowed to go unchecked and unpunished.

I have repeatedly begged the Chinese Government to take energetic measures to put a stop to this disgraceful state of affairs. Her Majesty's Government has also more than once offered to help the Local Government to deal effectively with the pirates, but their offer has been declined.

As your Excellencies will remember, exactly a year ago I personally warned the Tamên that if something was not done by the Chinese Government to put an end to a state of affairs which was seriously injuring trade, Her Majesty's Government would have to take effective measures on their own account, and send a statement of cost in to the Chinese Government.

In answer to my repeated representations, your Excellencies have always said that orders had been sent to the local authorities and energetic measures would be taken. In deference to your Excellencies' wishes I have advised Her Majesty's Government and also the Hong Kong Government in this sense, but now the evil instead of improving has become worse than ever, and there is absolutely no security for life or property in the Canton waters.

I must therefore decline to telegraph to the Governor of Hong Kong to recall the British man-of-war, the more so as I am convinced that the local population, so far from being alarmed or suspicions, will be only too grateful to think that the pirates will now be seriously dealt with, and honest men be allowed to carry on their business in peace.

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I avail, &c. (Signed)

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

No. 2.