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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 203
C
21622 [May 18.]
The first opportunity I had of alluding to the satisfy foreign public opinion. matter occurred yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, when I had a visit from the Viceroy.
I gave him the substance of the communications I have had from you, and explained that it was very desirable, in view of future applications for the rendition of criminals, that there should be no ground for suspicion that prisoners handed over by the Consular authorities to the Chinese would not be treated with justice.
The Viceroy still maintained that there was nothing particularly secret about the trial, although he admitted that in China trials were not public in the sense that they were in foreign countries, where the representatives of the press attended and reported the proceedings from day to day. He promised, however, that when the case was decided the evidence would be published in the newspapers.
His Excellency was somewhat more communicative this time about the charges, and I gathered that Huang, the only one of the two in whom he seemed to be interested, was being tried on at least three charges: (1) complicity in the Ping. hsiang affair; (2) belonging to a rebel society, ie., the same charge on which he had been arrested before in Hunan; (3) fraudulent debt in connection with the purchase of a vase, also an old charge. Chang was charged with sedition-mongering in connection with Chinese students in Japan. Both men denied complicity in the Ping-hsiang rising. The Viceroy did not believe that Chang had much to do with it, It was proved by documentary but he was convinced of Huang's guilt in this matter. evidence, but the difficulty was that as the use of torture was now prohibited, they could not get the confession of guilt from him which was necessary before he could be convicted.
The Viceroy added that he had grave reason to suspect Huang-yi of having been privy to the bomb attack made on him and the other Imperial Commissioners at the Peking railway station in 1905. Hu Yu-fen had informed him that a criminal (whose name I think he said was Yu Wei) had given evidence implicating Huang in this affair, and Hu had no knowledge at the time that Huang had a grudge against Tuan- fang. However, he said there was no evidence of this now available, and it did not form one of the charges on which Huang was being tried.
Possibly this story throws some light on the animus exhibited by the Viceroy in regard to the prisoner. His Excellency seems to see nothing wrong in a trial for other offences besides those for which the prisoners were surrendered; and I am not at all clear myself how far the usual rules of extradition apply to cases handed ove by the Mixed Court, so I thought it wiser not to say much on this point withou instructions.
I am, &c. (Signed) W. P. KER.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[16202]
No. 1.
SECTION 418 JUN 07
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey,-(Received May 18.) (No. 153.) Sir,
Peking, March 30, 1907. IN continuation of my despatch No. 86 of the 18th February last, I have the honour to report the further action which has been taken towards securing the acceptance of a scheme for the suppression of piracy in the Canton Delta.
The attention of the Wai-wu Pu has been steadily directed towards the question here, and at Canton Mr. Mansfield has been in constant communication with the Viceroy on the subject. On the 22nd instant he reported that at an interview which he had with his Excellency that morning the Viceroy had informed him that he was prepared to discuss a workable scheme with him and the Commissioner of Customs as soon as the Wai-wu Pu had informed him that the Inspector-General would provide the necessary funds for the purchase and maintenance of the additional launches required, The Viceroy admitted that the launches at his disposal were neither suitable nor sufficient for the
purpose. At an interview which I had at the Wai-wu Pu on the 26th instant I brought this telegram to the notice of the Ministers present and urged them to take steps for providing the Viceroy with the funds he required. I said that China, in her own interests and as a matter of national dignity, should put a stop to piracy, and should no longer be content to delegate to foreign Powers the task of policing her inland waterways.
The Grand Secretary, Na Tung, admitted that the work was one which China herself should undertake, but said there was some difficulty in applying Customs funds required for general purposes to the exclusive use of Canton, He consulted Tong Tajen as to the amount required for the purchase of the launches and was told that it would be over a lakh of taels (about 14,000%).
After some further conversation, both Ministers intimated their intention of consulting the Revenue Council and Sir R. Hart, and they gave me a positive assurance that means would be found to carry the scheme into effect,
Tong Tajen expressed a hope that the shipping firms would be called upon to do their part and take reasonable precautions. The main thing was to see that the steerage passengers were separated from the rest of the ship by an iron grating.
I replied that if the Chinese Government took effective steps to deal with the
matter, they might reckon upon receiving our cordial co-operation.
I communicated the result of this interview to Mr. Mansfield by telegram and have since had a conversation with Sir R. Hart on the subject. Sir Robert is still averse to supplying the money from Customs funds, and adheres generally to the views which I reported in the above-mentioned despatch.
A despatch which I received from Admiral Moore, and of which a copy is inclosed herewith, enabled me to point out to Sir R. Hart that his views were not shared by a high naval authority who had studied the question on the spot. Sir Robert admitted that his own Commissioner at Canton differed from him on the question, and at his request I furnished him with a copy of Admiral Moore's despatch, in the hope that its arguments may lead him to modify his opinion.
I am forwarding copies of this despatch confidentially to the Governor of Hong Kong, Admiral Moore, and His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
(Confidential.) Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Vice-Admiral Sir A. Moore to Sir J. Jordan.
“King Alfred,” at Hong Kong, March 13, 1907.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your Excellency's letter of the 23rd February, 1907, inclosing a copy of despatch No. 86, addressed to
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