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Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Wai-um Pu to Baron Sendal.
Sir,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's note of the 23rd June 1908, stating that a Chinese Government vessel had entered the inner harbour of Macao; that the Captain had declined to sign the Entrance Register kept at that port, and, when told that this refusal was contrary to the Regulations hitherto in force, replied that in declining to sign he was acting in accordance with the instructions of the Viceroy of Canton; and that the Captain was thereupon ordered to leave the port, and did so. Your Excellency stated that you had received instructions from the Portuguese Government to bring this matter to the notice of the Wai-wu Pu, and to protest against the action of the Captain of the vessel concerned with a view to preventing a repetition of such behaviour.
On receipt of your Excellency's note under acknowledgment, the Board directed the Viceroy, by telegraph, to inquire into the matter, and are now in receipt of his reply, which is to the following effect:-
"Chinese [ships] have for many years been in the habit of anchoring in Chinese waters near Macao, and the Portuguese have never interfered with them in the past. On the 9th June a Chinese man-of-war, the 'Kuang Yuan,' anchored in the river off Yin K'eng, opposite Macao, in Chinese waters, when suddenly a Portuguese steamer came alongside bringing a form which the Captain of the 'Kuang Yuan' was ordered to fill in. The officer in command of the 'Kuang Yuan' declined to fill in the form on the ground that Yin K'eng was in Chinese waters and that he could not recognize the right of the Portuguese to exercise supervision there. He then went on to Mã Liu Chou on patrol work.
"Yin K'eng is under the jurisdiction of China, and the attempt of the Portuguese to exercise supervision over Chinese men-of-war in Chinese waters, and to order them to fill up a form, is certainly an infringement of our sovereign rights. The Portuguese Minister's note obscures the facts of the case by omitting to mention the name of the place, and referring to it merely as the inner harbour of Macao."
We have the honour to point out that Yin K'eng is on the opposite bank to Macao, a considerable distance therefrom, and that the river at this place has always been under Chinese jurisdiction. The Portuguese steamer had no right to go there and order the Commander of the Chinese vessel to fill in a form; such action was undoubtedly an infringement of our sovereign rights.
The statement in your Excellency's note that the Chinese steam-ship entered the harbour of Macao is not in accordance with the real facts, which are that the vessel in question anchored in Chinese waters. The omission, too, of the name Yin K'eng and the vague description of the place as the inner harbour of Macao show that your Excellency is aware that Yin K'eng is really in Chinese waters, and for that reason refers to it in these indefinite terms. This is sufficient to show that the Portuguese steam-ship was in the wrong.
I have accordingly the honour to send this reply for your Excellency's information, and to request that the Portuguese Government may be informed that the Chinese steam-ship anchored in Chinese waters off Yin K'eng, and that there was certainly no reason why papers should be signed. I have further the honour to request that, in order to avoid complications, instructions may be sent by telegraph that in future Portuguese ships at Macao must not enter Chinese waters at will with a view to exercising supervision.
(Translation.)
I avail, &c.
(Signed) PRINCE CHING.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by Wai-wu Pu to Baron Sendal.
THE Portuguese Minister has informed the Wai-wu Pu verbally that he is instructed by his Government that they have appointed a special officer to come to China for the purpose of delimiting the boundaries of Macao, and has requested that the Chinese Government should appoint an officer for the same purpose without delay, so that a joint survey may be made.
The Wai-wu Pu thereupon directed the Viceroy at Canton to select a suitable officer, and have now received his reply, in which he inquires what is the rank of the officer appointed by the Portuguese, whether he holds plenary powers to arrange a settlement of the boundary question, and when he is to arrive in Canton. The Viceroy also states that the provincial authorities will of course depute an officer to co-operate in making a survey.
The Wai-wu Pu therefore asked to be informed whether the Portuguese Government have already appointed an officer for the purpose of delimiting the boundaries, and request replies to the points raised in the Viceroy's telegram, so that the Viceroy may be enabled to appoint an officer to co-operate in the work of delimitation.
June 23, 1908.
200
307
2
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Wai-um Pu to Baron Sendal.
Sir,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's note of the
June 23, 1908. 12th instant, stating that a Chinese Government vessel had entered the inner harbour of Macao; that the Captain had declined to sign the Entrance Register kept at that port, and, when told that this refusal was contrary to the Regulations hitherto in force, replied that in declining to sign he was acting in accordance with the instructions of the Viceroy of Canton; and that the Captain was thereupon ordered to leave the port, and did so. Your Excellency stated that you had received instructions from the Portuguese Government to bring this matter to the notice of the Wai-wu Pu, and to protest against the action of the Captain of the vessel concerned with a view to preventing a repetition of such behaviour.
On receipt of your Excellency's note under acknowledgment, the Board directed the Viceroy, by telegraph, to inquire into the matter, and are now in receipt of his reply, which is to the following effect:-
"Chinese [ships] have for many years been in the habit of anchoring in Chinese waters near Macao, and the Portuguese have never interfered with them in the past. On the 9th Jane a Chinese man-of-war, the 'Kuang Yuan,' anchored in the river off Yin K'eng, opposite Macao, in Chinese waters, when suddenly a Portuguese steamer came alongside bringing a form' which the Captain of the Kuang Yuan' was ordered to fill in. The officer in command of the Kuang Yuan' declined to fill in the form on the ground that Yin K'eng was in Chinese waters and that he could not recognize the right of the Portuguese to exercise supervision there. He then went on to Mã Liu Chou on patrol work.
"Yin K'eng is under the jurisdiction of China, and the attempt of the Portuguese to exercise supervision over Chinese men-of-war in Chinese waters, and to order them to fill up a form, is certainly an infringement of our sovereign rights. The Portuguese Minister's note obscures the facts of the case by omitting to mention the name of the place, and referring to it merely as the inner harbour of Macao."
We have the honour to point out that Yin K'eng is on the opposite bank to Macao, a considerable distance therefrom, and that the river at this place has always been under Chinese jurisdiction. The Portuguese steamer had no right to go there and order the Commander of the Chinese vessel to fill in a form; such action was undoubtedly an infringement of our sovereign rights.
The statement in your Excellency's note that the Chinese steam-ship entered the harbour of Macao is not in accordance with the real facts, which are that the vessel in question anchored in Chinese waters. The omission, too, of the name Yin K'eng and the vague description of the place as the inner harbour of Macao show that your Excellency is aware that Yin K'eng is really in Chinese waters, and for that reason refers to it in these indefinite terms. This is sufficient to show that the Portuguese steam-ship was in the wrong.
I have accordingly the honour to send this reply for your Excellency's information, and to request that the Portuguese Government may be informed that the Chinese steam-ship anchored in Chinese waters off Yin K'eng, and that there was certainly no reason why papers should be signed. I have further the honour to request that, in order to avoid complications, instructions may be sent by telegraph that in future Fortuguese ships at Macao must not enter Chinese waters at will with a view to exercising supervision.
(Translation.)
I avail, &c.
(Signed) PRINCE CHING.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by Wai-wu Pu to Baron Sendal.
THE Portuguese Minister has informed the Wai-wu Pu verbally that he is instructed by his Government that they have appointed a special officer to come to
3
China for the purpose of delimiting the boundaries of Macao, and has requested that the Chinese Government should appoint an officer for the same purpose without delay, so that a joint survey may he made.
The Wai-wu Pu thereupon directed the Viceroy at Canton to select a suitable officer, and have now received his reply, in which he inquires what is the rank of the officer appointed by the Portuguese, whether he holds plenary powers to arrange a settlement of the boundary question, and when he is to arrive in Canton. The Viceroy also states that the provincial authorities will of course depute an officer to co-operate in making a survey.
The Wai-wu Pu therefore asked to be informed whether the Portuguese Govern- ment have already appointed an officer for the purpose of delimiting the boundaries, and request replies to the points raised in the Viceroy's telegram, so that the Viceroy may be enabled to appoint an officer to co-operate in the work of delimitation.
June 23, 1908.
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