372
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
Kacichou, are not prevented from reaching the markets; and this understanding is the crux of the whole question.
In regard hereto I beg to point out that the area from which cattle may now be drawn under the Viceroy's new arrangement amounts to barely one-fourth of that of the whole province, and excludes the important centres of Nanning, Tai Ping, near Lungehou, Ssn An and Po-Se on the borders of Yunnan, all large trading districts where at present there are no disturbances whatever.
In view of the action of the Viceroy in peremptorily upsetting the arrangement made by His Majesty's Minister in Peking with the Chinese Government, I am satisfied that every obstacle will be thrown by the present Viceroy to trade in cattle, and that no measure will be wanting on his part to prevent supplies from outlying districts from reaching local markets—his attitude in the past has been hostile, and will certainly remain so.
The one argument adduced by the Viceroy in support of his action, viz., assisting the rebels by furnishing them with money obtained for cattle, is untenable. This was advanced by the late Governor and fully discussed. The fact is, there is no communication by the rebels with cattle dealers; and neither passports nor transit passes are ever issued for the disturbed districts. At the present moment the position in Kuang-si is far less serious than during the time of Governor Wang; and where that High Officer agreed to an unrestricted withdrawal of his prohibition, the Viceroy at the present moment has no valid grounds whatever for his action, either in prohibiting the export, or restricting it to four districts.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
JAMES SCOTT.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
39485 [October 12.
BECH SECTION 8 OCT 031
Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.—(Received October 12.)
(No. 32.) My Lord,
Canton, August 29, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith copy of a despatch No. 34 to His Majesty's Minister at Peking with inclosure, from which it will be seen that the Viceroy has withdrawn all his restrictions in respect to the purchase and export of cattle from Kuang-si.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
JAMES SCOTT,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul-General Scott to Sir H. Satow.
(No. 34.) Sir,
Canton, August 29, 1903.
IN continuation of my despatch No. 33, Confidential, of the 28th instant, I beg to report that yesterday afternoon the Viceroy's Secretary called and handed me a copy of a telegram which he had just received from the Viceroy, announcing the withdrawal of all restrictions on the purchase of cattle in Kuang-si by British subjects, and that the necessary instructions had accordingly been given to the Customs Department at Wuchow.
I desired the Secretary to convey to his Excellency my thanks for this satisfactory settlement, which, I added, I should at once report to my Minister in Peking by telegram.
In regard to the question of the import of arms, I beg to state that during my previous interview with the Viceroy's Secretary, I desired him to remind his Excellency that the term of two years during which, under the Peace Protocol, no arms could be imported into China, would soon expire. Was his Excellency, I inquired, aware of what the effect of this withdrawal would be in respect to the unrestricted sale of arms to Chinese and others in Hong Kong if sanctioned by His Majesty's Government? The Secretary, on behalf of the Viceroy, deprecated any such unrestricted sale, which would only add to the difficulties of the Chinese authorities in dealing with the pirates in the Canton Delta and the rebels in Kuang-si. In reply, I explained to him that His Majesty's Government fully realized the situation in the Liang Kuang provinces, and had, at their own instance, already taken measures to restrict the trade in arms in Hong Kong; and that his Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong would only permit the sale and export of arms to accredited officials of the Chinese Government, or to contrast the friendly action of the British authorities with the recent attitude of the Viceroy, in several matters, and especially as regards the prohibition of the export of cattle from Kuang-si. I urged the Secretary to lay the whole position before the Viceroy, and to press him to mark his appreciation of the friendly action of His Majesty's Government in respect to arms by removing all hindrance to and interference with the export of cattle from Kuang-si.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
JAMES SCOTT.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
(Translation.) (Telegraphic.)
Viceroy of Canton to Kao Weiyuan.
[Undated.]
HAVE received your telegram informing me that the term during which arms could not be imported has now expired, and that the Hong Kong Government has issued a special Proclamation strictly prohibiting the sale of arms to private individuals.
You
[2180 m-1]
372
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
Kacichou, are not prevented from reaching the markets; and this understanding is the crux of the whole question.
In regard hereto I beg to point out that the area from which cattle may now be drawn under the Viceroy's new arrangement amounts to barely one-fourth of that of the whole province, and excludes the important centres of Nanning, Tai Ping, near Lungehou, Ssn An and Po-Se on the borders of Yunnan, all large trading districts where at present there are no disturbances whatever.
In view of the action of the Viceroy in peremptorily upsetting the arrangement made by His Majesty's Minister in Peking with the Chinese Government, I am satisfied that every obstacle will be thrown by the present Viceroy to trade in cattle, and that no measure will be wanting on his part to prevent supplies from outlying districts from reaching local markets-his attitude in the past has been hostile, and will certainly
remain so.
The one argument adduced by the Viceroy in support of his action, viz., assisting the rebels by furnishing them with money obtained for cattle, is untenable. This was advanced by the late Governor and fully discussed. The fact is, there is no communica- tion by the rebels with cattle dealers; and neither passports nor transit passes are ever issued for the disturbed districts. At the present moment the position in Kuang-bsi is far less serious than during the time of Governor Wang; and where that High Officer agreed to an unrestricted withdrawal of his prohibition, the Viceroy at the present monent has no valid grounds whatever for his action, either in prohibiting the export, or restricting it to four districts.
I have, &c.
0
(Signed)
JAMES SCOTT.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
39485 [October 12.
BECH SECTION 8 OCT 031
Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received October 12.)
(No. 32.) My Lord,
Canton, August 29, 1903. I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith copy of a despatch No. 34 to His Majesty's Minister at Peking with inclosure, from which it will be seen that the Viceroy has withdrawn all his restrictions in respect to the purchase and export of cattle from Kuang-si.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul-General Scott to Sir H. Satow.
JAMES SCOTT,
(No. 34.) Sir,
Canton, August 29, 1903. IN continuation of my despatch No. 33, Confidential, of the 28th instant, I beg to report that yesterday afternoon the Viceroy's Secretary called and handed me a copy of a telegram which he had just received from the Viceroy, announcing the withdrawal of all restrictions on the purchase of cattle in Kuang-si by British subjects, and that the necessary instructions had accordingly been given to the Customs Department at Wuchow.
I desired the Secretary to convey to his Excellency my thanks for this satisfactory settlement, which, I added, I should at once report to my Minister in Peking by telegram.
In regard to the question of the import of arms, I beg to state that during my previous interview with the Viceroy's Secretary, I desired him to remind his Excellency that the term of two years during which, under the Peace Protocol, no arms could be imported into China, would soon expire. Was his Excellency, I inquired, aware of what the effect of this withdrawal would be in respect to the unrestricted sale of arms to Chinese and others in Hong Kong if sanctioned by His Majesty's Government? The Secretary, on behalf of the Viceroy, deprecated any such unrestricted sale, which would only add to the difficulties of the Chinese authorities in dealing with the pirates in the Canton Delta and the rebels in Kuang-si. In reply, I explained to him that His Majesty's Government fully realized the situation in the Liang Kuang provinces, and had, at their own instance, already taken measures to restrict the trade in arms in Hong Kong; and that his Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong would only permit the sale and export of arms to accredited officials of the Chinese Government, on to contrast the friendly action of the British authorities with the recent attitude of the Viceroy, in several matters, and especially as regards the prohibition of the export of cattle from Kuang-si. I urged the Secretary to lay the whole position before the Viceroy, and to press him to mark his appreciation of the friendly action of His Majesty's Government in respect to arms by removing all hindrance to and interference with the export of cattle from Kuang-si.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
went
JAMES SCOTT.
(Translation.) (Telegraphic.)
Viceroy of Canton to Kao Weiyuan.
[Undated.]
HAVE received your telegram informing me that the term during which arms could not be imported has now expired, and that the Hong Kong Government has issued a special Proclamation strictly prohibiting the sale of arròs to private individuals.
You
[2180 m-1]
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