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Inclosure 1 in No. 2.
Prince Ch'ing to Sir E. Satow.
Your Excellency,
Peking, November 11, 1908. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 13th ultimo complaining of the arrest of a Chinese employé of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire at Amoy on the ground that he had been engaging in the camphor trade in the interior.
[Note quoted in full.]
The Board have repeatedly addressed the Viceroy on the subject and he now tele-graphs to say that the reports which he has received from the Taotai at Amoy show that the Chinese Su Chun, who was arrested for purchasing camphor, was in the interior at the time of his arrest collecting his supplies without having either a pass from Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's agent or a transit certificate in his possession, so that he was certainly contravening the Treaty Regulations. He has ordered the Taotai, however, when his inquiry is completed, to release the man.
I have the honour, therefore, to forward this reply for your Excellency's information.
The Board at once telegraphed to the Viceroy at Foochow to release Su Chun immediately, and he replied yesterday that he had given orders accordingly. The Board has also written to Foochow authorities instructing them to come to some satisfactory arrangement with regard to the purchase of camphor by British merchants.
On receipt of their reply I shall again have the honour to address your Excellency.
I avail, &c.
I avail, &c.
Your Highness,
Inclosure 2 in No. 2.
Sir E. Satow to Prince Ch'ing.
Peking, November 18, 1903. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Highness' note of the 11th instant, informing me, with reference to the recent arrest of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's employé for purchasing camphor in Fukien, that orders had been given to the Taotai at Amoy to release the man as soon as the inquiry into his case had been completed.
In reply, I must again point out to your Highness that the authorities at Amoy have no right to interfere with the exercise by British merchants of their Treaty privilege of freely purchasing this native produce in the interior. It is immaterial whether the man arrested in the present case had or had not a pass or transit certificate in his possession. By purchasing camphor he was in no way contravening the Treaty Regulations. His arrest was quite unjustifiable, and there can be no need of any inquiries.
I have the honour, therefore, to request that instructions be again sent to the local authorities to release the man Su Chun at once and to refrain in future from interfering with the freedom of British merchants to purchase camphor wherever they please and from whom they please.
I avail, &c.
Inclosure 3 in No. 2.
Prince Ch'ing to Sir E. Satow.
Peking, November 23, 1903.
Your Excellency,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's note of the 18th instant with reference to the arrest of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's employé for purchasing camphor in Fukien, requesting me to instruct the Fukien authorities to release the man at once, as there could be no need of any inquiry, &c.
[Note quoted in full.]
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Page 133
6
7
Inclosure 1 in No. 2.
Prince Ch'ing to Sir E. Satow.
Your Excellency,
Peking, November 11, 1908. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 13th ultimo complaining of the arrest of a Chinese employé of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire at Amoy on the ground that he had been engaging in the camphor trade in the interior.
[Note quoted in full.]
The Board have repeatedly addressed the Viceroy on the subject and he now tele- graps to say that the reports which he has received from the Taotai at Amoy show that the Chinese Su Chun, who was arrested for purchasing camphor, was in the interior at the time of his arrest collecting his supplies without having either a posses- pass from Mesars. Butterfield and Swire's agent or a transit certificate in his sion, so that he was certainly contravening the Treaty Regulations. He has ordered the Taotai, however, when his inquiry is completed, to release the man.
I have the honour, therefore, to forward this reply for your Excellency's infor mation.
The Board at once telegraphed to the Viceroy at Foochow to release Su Chun immediately, and he replied yesterday that he had given orders accordingly. The Board has also written to Foochow authorities instructing them to come to some satisfactory arrangement with regard to the purchase of camphor by British merchants.
On receipt of their reply I shall again have the honour to address your Excellency.
I avail, &c.
I avail, &c.
Your Highness,
Inclosure 2 in No. 2.
Sir E. Satow to Prince Ch'ing.
Peking, November 18, 1903. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Highness' note of the 11th instant, informing me, with reference to the recent arrest of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire for purchasing camphor in Fukien, that orders had been given to the Taotai at Amoy to release the man as soon as the inquiry into his case had been completed.
In reply, I must again point out to your Highness that the authorities at Amoy have no right to interfere with the exercise by British merchants of their Treaty privilege of freely purchasing this native produce in the interior. It is immaterial whether the man arrested in the present case had or had not a pass or transit certifi- cate in his possession. By purchasing camphor he was in no way contravening the Treaty Regulations. His arrest was quite unjustifiable, and there can be no need of any inquiries.
I have the honour, therefore, to request that instructions be again sent to the local authorities to release the man Su Chun at once and to refrain in future from interfering with the freedom of British merchants to purchase camphor wherever they please and from whom they please.
I avail, &c.
Inclosure 3 in No. 2.
Prince Ch'ing to Sir E. Satow.
Peking, November 23, 1903.
Your Excellency,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's note of the 18th instant with reference to the arrest of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's employé for purchasing camphor in Fukien, requesting me to instruct the Fukien authorities to release the man at once, as there could be no need of any inquiry, &c.
[Note quoted in full.]
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