Colonie de Macau, et l'Administration des Douanes Impériales Chinoises"; as a matter of fact, this delegation already existed—nominally, indeed, it was established on the island of Lapa, opposite Macau, but in reality it was located in Macau itself, under the Portuguese Governor's nose; and by the terms of Articles III-VI of this Treaty, this Customs delegation will have to treat vessels sailing from Macau as if the delegation were a Treaty port customs-house.
Amongst other difficulties which he had to meet, Senhor Azevedo said that the French Legation at Peking had opposed his Treaty because they feared it might give Portugal undue control of the West River trade.
Since he had left Peking, the Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires had signed a Supplementary Commercial Convention with the Chinese Government. (This statement hardly tallies with the reply given by Senhor Wenceslau de Lima to question 5, as recorded above; but the news of this signature may have reached Lisbon subsequently to his Excellency's reply in Parliament.)
Senhor de Azevedo intends to return to China in September, and, after presenting his Letters of Credence as Portuguese Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Peking, will proceed to Shanghae, where he hopes to be able to negotiate with the Chinese Commissioners a Commercial Treaty on the lines adopted by Sir James Mackay.
In reply to my inquiry as to what he proposes to do with regard to the delimitations of the frontiers of Macau, a question on which public opinion here lays great stress, Senhor de Azevedo said that it was quite a mistake to suppose, as the newspapers have asserted, that the Portuguese want to acquire the island of Lapa. It is true that guns planted on Lapa would entirely command Macau; but the Chinese have no guns there, or anywhere near; and the Portuguese could seize the island long before the Chinese could get their guns in position.
All that he wanted to effect was a delimitation of the territorial limits of the country in accordance with the letter of the Treaty of 1887; this would not imply any breach of the engagement by which all the Powers had undertaken not to seek any further territorial aggrandizement, inasmuch as the delimitation would only be carrying out an agreement long anterior to the self-denying engagement; and he had every hope that the Chinese would be reasonable and concur in his proposals, when carrying out the arrangement for the construction of a railway from Macau to Canton.
Senhor de Azevedo authorized me to report the above to your Lordship, provided the information was treated as strictly confidential. If Sir E. Satow was at Peking at the date when the Commercial Convention was signed, he had little doubt that the Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires had communicated a copy to him; anyhow, he had no objection whatever to the British Legation at Peking knowing all that had passed, and what he proposed to do on his return.
I gather from our conversation that the Portuguese Government intend to insist that the terms of the Railway Concession and the delimitation of the frontier of Macau must be settled before they accept Article VI* of the Final Protocol of Peking of the 7th September, 1901.
With regard to the Portuguese share of the Indemnity, Senhor de Azevedo said that this would be deposited in a Bank at Shanghae, and not withdrawn until the Treaty has been ratified; the Portuguese Government intend themselves to pay the various claimants, but thought it more correct not to touch the Indemnity money until all the outstanding questions had been settled.
For convenience of reference, I am forwarding with this despatch an additional copy of the Portuguese White Book on the negotiations with China.
I have, &c. (Signed)
MARTIN GOSSELIN.
Confidential.
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State,
and is directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
to transmit, to be laid before the Secretary of State for
the Colonies
, further section of confidential
correspondence, as marked in the margin.
Trade 30,$2
Foreign Office,
August 20th,
1903.
* Article VI includes the revision of the Tariff.
Page 240
Page 241
2
Colonie de Macau, et l'Administration des Douanes Impériales Chinoises"; as a matter of fact, this delegation already existed-nominally, indeed, it was established on the island of Lapa, opposite Macau, but in reality it was located in Macau itself, under the Portuguese Governor's nose; and by the terms of Articles III-VI of this Treaty, this Customs delegation will have to treat vessels sailing from Macau as if the delegation were a Treaty port customs-house.
Amongst other difficulties which he had to meet, Senhor Azevedo said that the French Legation at Peking had opposed his Treaty because they feared it might give Portugal undue control of the West River trade.
Since he had left Peking, the Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires had signed a Supplementary Commercial Convention with the Chinese Government. (This statement hardly tallies with the reply given by Senhor Wenceslau de Lima to question 5, as recorded above; but the news of this signature may have reached Lisbon subsequently to his Excellency's reply in Parliament.)
Senhor de Azevedo intends to return to China in September, and, after presenting his Letters of Credence as Portuguese Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Peking, will proceed to Shanghae, where he hopes to be able to negotiate with the Chinese Commissioners a Commercial Treaty on the lines adopted by Sir James Mackay.
In reply to my inquiry as to what he proposes to do with regard to the delimitations of the frontiers of Macau, a question on which public opinion bere lays great stress, Senhor de Azevedo said that it was quite a mistake to suppose, as the newspapers have asserted, that the Portuguese want to acquire the island of Lapa. It is true that guns planted on Lapa would entirely command Macau; but the Chinese have no guns there, or anywhere rear; and the Portuguese could seize the island long before the Chinese could get their guns in position.
All that he wanted to effect was a delimitation of the territorial limits of the country în accordance with the letter of the Treaty of 1887; this would not imply any breach of the engagement by which all the Powers had undertaken not to seek any further territorial aggrandizement, inasmuch as the delimitation would only be carrying out an agreement long anterior to the self-denying" engagement; and he had every hope that the Chinese would be reasonable and concur in his proposals, when carrying out the arrangement for the construction of a railway from Macau to Canton.
Senhor de Azevedo authorized me to report the above to your Lordship, provided the information was treated as strictly confidential. If Sir E. Satow was at Peking at the date when the Commercial Convention was signed, he had little doubt that the Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires had communicated a copy to him; anyhow, he had no objection what- ever to the British Legation at Peking knowing all that had passed, and what he proposed to do on his return.
I gather from our conversation that the Portuguese Government intend to insist that the terms of the Railway Concession and the delimitation of the frontier of Macau must be settled before they accept Article VI* of the Final Protocol of Peking of the 7th September, 1901.
With regard to the Portuguese share of the Indemnity, Senhor de Azevedo said that this would be deposited in a Bank at Shanghae, and not withdrawn until the Treaty has been ratified; the Portuguese Government intend themselves to pay the various claimants, but thought it more correct not to touch the Indemnity money until all the outstanding questions had been settled.
For conveniece of reference, I am forwarding with this despatch an additional copy of the Portuguese White Book on the negotiations with China.
I have, &c. (Signed)
MARTIN GOSSELIN.
fidential.
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State,
and is directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
to transmit, to be laid before the Secretary of State for
the Colonies
, further section of confidential
correspondence, as marked in the margin.
Trade 30,$2
Foreign Office,
August 200
, 1903.
* Article VI includes the revision of the Tariff.
236
Page 240Page 241
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