SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[May 9.]
SECTION 1.
96
Mr. Townley to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received May 9.)
(No. 115.) My Lord,
Peking, March 24, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith copy of an interesting Report upon the affairs of the Province of Szechuan, furnished to me by His Majesty's Consul-General at Chengtu.
It is unnecessary for me to dwell upon the incidents reported by Mr. Hosie, until we come to the penultimate paragraph dealing with mining Agreements secured by the Yang-tsze Valley Syndicate, about which your Lordship may like to have some information.
The negotiations which have resulted in the signature of the two Agreements referred to by Mr. Hosie have been going on for a very considerable time, and are connected with events which occurred before the troubles of 1900. Before his departure from Peking on leave of absence, Sir E. Satow instructed Mr. Wilton, then Acting Consul at Chungking, to proceed to the provincial capital and render Mr. Little, the local agent of the Syndicate, such assistance as he properly could in furtherance of his efforts to secure the settlement of the questions at issue between the Syndicate and the local authorities. These were two in number, namely, (1) a final settlement of the conditions under which a Petroleum Concession, previously granted to the Syndicate, should be carried out, and (2) the execution of an Agreement made in the early part of 1900 between the agents of the Syndicate and the local authorities for the working of a mine known as the Maha Gold Mine, or the grant of a satisfactory equivalent. The provincial authorities have consistently repudiated this Agreement on the ground that the Chinese official who signed it had no authority to do so.
Mr. Wilton remained at Chengtu for two months, patiently and diligently supporting the British interests concerned. I at the same time made frequent representations to the Foreign Board here, and urged them to instruct the Viceroy to settle the long-pending question in an equitable manner. I am not aware as yet of the full contents of the Agreements, but I do not think that any objection can be made to their prompt ratification here, since I was frequently assured, in answer to my representations, that the Viceroy had a free hand, and had been instructed by the Board to make such an arrangement as he might consider advisable. The signature of the Agreements finally took place within a few days of my informing the Wai-wu Pu that if a satisfactory arrangement was not come to at once, I should have to demand that the negotiations be transferred to Peking. To this communication the Board replied that the local authorities were better able to conclude the arrangement. It will, therefore, be difficult for them to hesitate to ratify the Agreements.
Upon the receipt of copies of the Agreements, I shall have the honour to furnish your Lordship with some account of the course of the negotiations, but meanwhile, I have much pleasure in expressing my entire concurrence with Mr. Hosie's opinion that their satisfactory issue was largely due to Mr. Wilton's perseverance and ability.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 1.
WALTER TOWNLEY.
(No. 2.) Sir,
Consul-General Hosie to Mr. Townley.
Chengtu, February 21, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to report on the present position of affairs in the Province of Szechuan.
The Boxer troubles of last year were brought to a speedy end by the arrival and energy of the present Acting Viceroy. The Boxer element was, however, inconsiderable; but, such as it was, it drew to itself many of the evil-disposed characters who exist in many provinces of China, and whose sole object is to plunder during disorder. Blackmail was levied by these bands, but the demands were so often repeated that the
(1992 7-1)
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[May 9.]
SECTION 1.
96
Mr. Townley to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received May 9.)
(No. 115.) My Lord,
Peking, March 24, 1903. I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith copy of an interesting Report upon the affairs of the Province of Szechuan, furnished to me by His Majesty's Consul-General at Chengtu.
It is unnecessary for me to dwell upon the incidents reported by Mr. Hosie, until we come to the penultimate paragraph dealing with mining Agreements secured by the Yang-tsze Valley Syndicate, about which your Lordship may like to have some information.
The negotiations which have resulted in the signature of the two Agreements referred to by Mr. Hosie have been going on for a very considerable time, and are connected with events which occurred before the troubles of 1900. Before his departure from Peking on leave of absence, Sir E. Satow instructed Mr. Wilton, then Acting Consul at Chungking, to proceed to the provincial capital and render Mr. Little, the local agent of the Syndicate, such assistance as he properly could in furtherance of his efforts to secure the settlement of the questions at issue between the Syndicate and the local authorities. These were two in number, namely, (1) a final settlement of the conditions under which a Petroleum Concession, previously granted to the Syndicate, should be carried out, and (2) the execution of an Agreement made in the early part of 1900 between the agents of the Syndicate and the local authorities for the working of a mine. known as the Maha Gold Mine, or the grant of a satisfactory equivalent. The provincial authorities have consistently repudiated this Agreement on the ground that the Chinese official who signed it had no authority to do so.
Mr. Wilton remained at Chengtu for two months, patiently and diligently support- ing the British interests concerned. 1 at the same time made frequent representations to the Foreign Board here, and urged them to instruct the Viceroy to settle the long- pending question in an equitable manner. 1 am not aware as yet of the full contents of the Agreements, but I do not think that any objection can be made to their prompt ratification here, since I was frequently assured, in answer to my representations, that the Viceroy had a free hand, and had been instructed by the Board to make such an arrange- ment as he might consider advisable. The signature of the Agreements finally took place within a few days of my informing the Wai-wu Pu that if a satisfactory arrange- ment was not come to at once, I should have to demand that the negotiations be transferred to Peking. To this communication the Board replied that the local authorities were better able to conclude the arrangement. It will, therefore, be difficult for them to hesitate to ratify the Agreements.
Upon the receipt of copies of the Agreements, I shall have the honour to furnish your Lordship with some account of the course of the negotiations, but meanwhile, I have much pleasure in expressing my entire concurrence with Mr. Hosie's opinion that their satisfactory issue was largely due to Mr. Wilton's perseverance and ability.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 1.
WALTER TOWNLEY.
(No. 2.) Sir,
Consul-General Hosie to Mr. Townley.
Chengtu, February 21, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to report on the present position of affairs in the Province of Szeclinan.
The Boxer troubles of last year were brought to a speedy end by the arrival and energy of the present Acting Viceroy. The Boxer element was, however, inconsider- able; but, such as it was, it drew to itself many of the evil-disposed characters who exist in many provinces of China, and whose sole object is to plunder during disorder, Blackmail was levied by these bands, but the demands were so often repeated that the
(1992 7-1)
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